JERUSALEM, June 19 (Reuters) - Israeli energy and insurance conglomerate Delek Group DLEKG.TA said on Thursday it agreed to sell a 36 percent stake in its U.S. insurance business Republic Group to a group of unnamed investors, less than a previously announced 55 percent.

The deal is worth $80 million, Delek said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and the buyers have a three-year option to purchase an additional 19 percent.

The valuation of Dallas-based Republic remained at $220 million, the same as it was when the initial deal had been announced in April. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL6N0N81N2

Republic provides personal and commercial property and casualty insurance.

The sale comes as Delek, which owns stakes in the giant Tamar and Leviathan natural gas fields off Israel's Mediterranean coast, seeks to divest its financial holdings.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch)

((ari.rabinovitch@thomsonreuters.com)(+972-2-632-2202)(Reuters Messaging: ari.rabinovitch@thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: DELEK GROUP REPUBLIC GROUP/