The National Parks and Nature Reserves' Commission green-lighted exploratory oil drilling in the Judean Desert last week. The decision will allow two private contractors, Delek Energy Systems and Ginko, to drill 3,200 feet deep into desert soil in an attempt to strike black gold. The location chosen for the exploratory drill is in a nature reserve off of Highway 31, slightly north of the Dead Sea. The site may hold an oil reservoir which could potentially produce 6.5 million barrels of Israeli oil. 11/09/08
