Yigal Landau is a businessman who has successfully combined his abilities in development and management of large-scale corporations. Yigal has been active in the business world since the 1990s. In 1992 Landau and his father Shaike Landau OBM, together with the Rotlevy family, Zvi Tzafriri OBM, and geologist Eitan Aizenberg founded the limited partnership Ratio Oil Exploration (1992), now “Ratio Energies”. Landau was appointed as a director and CEO of Ratio, positions in which he has served since the establishment of the Ratio Partnership.
Business operations
Ratio Energies, headed by Landau, participates in gas exploration in areas in which the limited partnership has been granted rights by the State of Israel. In the initial years after its establishment, Ratio focused on oil exploration on land. However, after a few drillings in which no commercial amounts of oil or gas were discovered, Landau, together with his partners, decided to focus Ratio’s operations on the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the deep waters of the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Israel’s shores. In view of the geological analyses performed by Ratio’s geologist, at the beginning of the 2000’s the Partnership made a brave decision to focus on areas with the greatest chance of finding a commercial oil discovery, despite the heavy costs required to perform geological surveys and deep-water drilling.
In retrospect, this decision turned out to be both good and sensible. Ratio initiated receipt of the preliminary permit for “Ratio-Yam”, in the area in which two commercial gas discoveries have been found to date – the first, the Leviathan field, which was estimated at the end of 2014 to have approx. 22.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and a volume of approx. 49 million barrels of condensate, and the second discovery, the Dolphin field. The Leviathan field is one of the best gas assets in the world in terms of size, gas quality, and production capacity. Leviathan is now a strategic anchor of the State of Israel, supplying gas to three markets: Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
Landau believes that the State of Israel must strive and aspire towards energy independence, and it therefore must continue to endeavor for private developers to pursue gas and oil exploration in the Israeli EEZ in which, according to international assessments, there are significant amounts of gas that yet to be discovered. Landau’s worldview arises from the knowledge that that successful exploration will enable Israel not to be dependent on other countries for energy production and will also create distinct economic advantages for the Israeli economy.
Outside of Ratio, Yigal Landau has also made significant contributions to the business world over the years, including:
- 2005-2013 – Director of Dalia Power Energies Ltd. Landau was the developer of the Company’s private power plant in the Tel-Tzafit area with a capacity of 1,200 MW, which is the largest plant in Israel, and whose establishment was estimated at an investment of $1 billion. The power plant has two natural gas-fired cogeneration electricity production units.
- 2001 and on – Director of Ratio Technologies (formerly ProSeed). The fund invests in start-up companies, hi-tech companies, and in companies in IT, life sciences, and medical devices.
- 1993-2020 – Member of the Board of Union Bank of Israel Ltd., in the context of which he served as a member of the Risk Management Committee, Diamond Credit Committee, Committee for Transactions in Fixed Assets, and Committee for Real Investments.
- 1990 and on – CEO of Hiram Landau Ltd., which is a leader in the infrastructure, development, and real estate industries.
By Albotros
Public activity
Landau is involved in extensive public activities, in the context of which he has participated in various events, including fundraising and charity events. Among other things, Landau has hosted a fundraising event at his home for the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization, as well as the annual gala of the Nahum Gutman Museum of Art. Landau is a member of the Board of Governors of Ariel University, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Education
Landau holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University (1986) and a BSc in Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (1982). In 1987, he completed a summer course for managers at Harvard University. Landau served in the Engineering and Construction Department of the IDF, attaining a rank of Major (Res.).
Yigal Landau is married to Dr. Zipi Landau, a Tel Aviv school principal.