EGAS to auction up to 11 gas exploration blocks in Egypt’s West Med by 1Q2020 - ENTERPRISE

Thursday, 30 May 2019

EGAS plans fresh WestMed gas exploration tender: The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) plans to put some 11 natural gas exploration blocks in the western Mediterranean up for auction by 1Q2020, a source from the company told Al Shorouk. EGAS has finalized studies and seismic scans, and is waiting for the Oil Ministry to make a final decision on the timeline and the number of concessions on offer.

The great gas rush of 2019: The ministry in February handed five gas exploration concessions in the Mediterranean and Nile Delta to Shell, Eni, BP, DEA and Petronas in the largest bid round in the state gas company’s history. A month later, the South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (Ganope) launched a tender for 10 oil and gas exploration blocks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast. It remains unclear when the ministry will announce the winning companies.

Egypt to offer three oil & gas exploration bid rounds this year / Inaugural meeting of the East Med seven took place yesterday - ENTERPRISE

Thursday, 7 March 2019

Egypt is planning to offer three oil & gas exploration bid rounds this year, Energy Minister Tarek El Molla told local press. 

EGAS will offer a bid round in the Mediterranean and EGPC will offer two bid rounds in the Western Desert, the Red Sea, and the Eastern Desert.

Inaugural meeting of the East Med seven took place yesterday: Representatives from the seven East Mediterranean countries held the inaugural meeting to form a regional gas market in Cairo on Wednesday, according to an Oil Ministry statement. 

The meeting, which included representatives from Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Jordan, and Palestine, looked at the initial steps needed to bring about the market. 

Edison gives up exploration rights in North East concessions - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Italy’s Edison has forfeited its natural gas exploration rights in North East concessions Hapi and Theqa (aka Thekah), local news reported. 

A new international tender for the concessions will be launched next year, an Oil Ministry source said, without specifying a time frame. 

Edison signed a USD 86 mn agreement with EGAS in January 2017 for E&P operations. 

Oil Minister Tarek El Molla said in July the Italian company would begin drilling exploratory wells at the concessions in 2H2019.

Egypt, Cyprus to sign deal to connect Aphrodite gas field with Egypt - REUTERS

APRIL 29, 2018 / 5:43 PM
Reporting by Nadine Awadalla and Patrick Werr; writing by Arwa Gaballa; editing by Jason Neely

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt aims to sign an agreement with Cyprus to connect the island’s Aphrodite gas field with Egypt, Egypt’s oil minister said on Sunday.

Tarek El Molla, speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt event in Cairo, also said the country was preparing a bid round for unexplored offshore areas west of the Nile Delta to the Libyan border.

“We intend to have a bid round in this area shortly,” Molla said.

Egypt may also invite companies to bid for oil and gas exploration in the Red Sea before year-end, he said.

EGAS to issue natural gas exploration tender in 11 blocks before June - ENTERPRISE

Egypt's 2015 Eastern Mediterranean (Onshore & Offshore) Bid Round Results

Tuesday, 6 February 2018

The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) is planning on issuing natural gas exploration tenders in 11 offshore and onshore blocks before June, an unnamed EGAS source tells Al Shorouk. 

EGAS Chairman Osama El Bakly had previously announced the company’s plans to have a bid round for oil and gas exploration in east Mediterranean and onshore Delta blocks in 1H2018, but had not disclosed the number of areas up for exploration.