Egypt: Gas discovery spurs drilling in the Mediterranean, Nile Delta - ESI AFRICA

August 30, 2023

Yunus Kemp

Egypt plans to drill 45 natural exploratory gas wells in the Mediterranean and the Nile Delta with $1.9 billion in investments until mid-2025.

This follows the discovery, announced in January, in the Nargis Offshore Area Concession which added reserves of 2.5 trillion cubic feet. The discovery is located in the Eastern Mediterranean off the Egyptian coast.

The Narges 1 well was drilled to a depth of 309 metres and has an estimated volume of reserves amounting to 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, the Egyptian government said.

“This has contributed to the interest of a number of international companies to develop the field and work on more explorations the government said.

The discovery of the new gas field comes at a time when Egypt is seeking to increase its gas reserves and exports for which demand has grown worldwide.

Egypt expects Zohr field’s investments to hit $15bln in 3 years - ZAWYA

July 25, 2023

Zohr, the largest natural gas field in the Mediterranean, is anticipated to attract investments totaling $15 billion over the next three years, the Egyptian Cabinet’s media center announced on July 24th.

Current investments into the giant offshore natural gas field are estimated at $12 billion so far.

The media center also denied viral news claiming that Zohr was experiencing technical issues.

It added that production from 19 wells at Zohr have already started, with the 20th well in the field currently being constructed with $70 million in investments.

The average production from the field is about 2.3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd).

Italian company Eni had discovered Zohr in 2015 and started producing in late 2017. The field is estimated to have around 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Zohr natgas output to surpass 3 bcf/d this month - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Zohr natgas production to exceed 3 bcf/d this month: Production from the 13 wells at the giant Zohr natural gas field is expected to surpass 3 bcf/d by the end of October, up from 2.7 bcf/d in August, Eni IEOC JV boss Luca De Caro said on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Offshore Conference in Alexandria, the Oil Ministry said in a statement. Eni originally estimated that production would peak at 2.7 bcf/d, but the ministry said earlier this year that output would rise above 3 bcf/d in 2019.

More wells on the horizon: Eni plans to drill 11 exploration wells in the Nile Delta, Western Desert and the Gulf of Suez regions this year and nine other wells in the coming year, De Caro said. Eni has also been producing 1.2 bcf/d of natural gas from its Nooros gas field since the end of 2017 when the two phases of the project were completed. High profile representatives from BP, Wintershall DEA, Shell and Edison also attended the conference, which kicked off yesterday.

EGAS to sign 7 new gas exploration agreements with int’l companies in 4Q2019 - ENTERPRISE

Sunday, 22 September 2019

State-owned EGAS expects to sign seven new gas exploration agreements with international companies worth at least USD 712 mn during 4Q2019, Chairman Osama El Bakly said, according to a ministry statement. 

Companies will drill 23 exploratory wells under the terms of the agreement, he said, without naming the concessions or companies involved. 

El Bakly also said that Egypt’s natural gas production hit a record 7.2 bcf/d in September, up from 7 bcf/d at the end of June.

First well from Baltim South West field linked to Egypt’s national grid - ENTERPRISE

Thursday, 12 September 2019

Italy’s Eni has linked the first well in its Baltim South West natural gas field to the national grid, an EGAS source said. 

The well has a production capacity of 50 mcf/d and is the first of six wells, which will bring the field’s total production to 500 mcf/d once developed during the current fiscal year.

Egypt- First well of Baltim South West gas field to start production within days: Petrobel - MENAFN

8/27/2019 6:08:03 PM

(MENAFN - Daily News Egypt) Belayim Petroleum (Petrobel) completed the construction of 18 km-long, 26-inch-diameter offshore production line and 25 km-long, 26-inch-diameter onshore line, as well as the manufacture and installation of the offshore production platform within the development of the Baltim South West gas field, three months ahead of schedule.

Atef Hassan, chairperson of Petrobel, said the field's first well is expected to enter production in the coming days, and it is planned to complete drilling five more wells in 2019/20, bringing the total production of the field to about 500m cubic feet per day (scf/day).

The financial results of the company presented to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Mulla, showed that Petrobel succeeded in implementing an integrated action plan supported by all partners to achieve its objectives as an operating company and achieved positive performance indicators and results.

GUPCO plans to inject $1.2bn investments within two years - DAILY NEWS EGYPT

Monday August 26, 2019

Mohamed Farag 

Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO) plans to bring total investments in the fiscal years (FY) 2019/20 and 2020/21 up to $1.2bn to expand research, exploration, and development activities. The company aims to drill 13 new wells and carry out 12 repair operations, which will contribute to increasing production to targeted rates.

Geologist Khaled Hamdan, chairperson of GUPCO, said during his meeting with the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Molla, that an ambitious work plan is being implemented to expand the activities of oil and gas research and development in Ras Shuqair (Ras Shukheir) area in the Gulf of Suez, which also include developing the quality of infrastructure and production facilities in the region.

The results of GUPCO operations showed that the average production from its fields in Ras Shuqair amounted to about 61,700 barrels of crude oil per day during FY 2018/19, and that there is a plan to increase production from Ras Shuqair fields during the current fiscal year to about 73,000 barrels per day.

Cyprus backs Total-Eni partnership in offshore gas drilling - KATHIMERINI

TUESDAY JULY 30, 2019 : 19:07

Cyprus has licensed a consortium made up of France’s Total and Italy’s Eni to search for hydrocarbons in another area that the east Mediterranean island nation has exclusive economic rights, the country’s energy minister said Tuesday.

Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis said the two oil companies will each have 50 percent rights to Block 7, one of 13 areas composing the country’s exclusive economic zone off its south coast.

Total will be the designated operator in the block which borders three others where deposits of natural gas have been discovered. It’s believed a gas field found in the adjacent Block 6 that also belongs jointly to Total and Eni may extend in to Block 7.

Lakkotrypis says the government has also approved Total’s participation in four other blocks where Eni had a license. Total’s rights to the four blocks range from 20 percent to 40 percent.

Italy’s Eni to drill nine new wells in Egypt’s Zohr until 2020 - ENTERPRISE

Wednesday, 10 July 2019

Italy’s Eni is planning to drill nine new development wells in the Zohr gas field until 2020 to achieve production targets agreed upon with the Oil Ministry, an industry source told the press. 

Zohr’s development plan involves drilling 20 wells, 11 of which have already been drilled. The company is planning to link the 11th well soon, bringing the supergiant field’s production level to 2.5 bcf/d by the end of the month, up from a current 2.3 bcf, the source added.

Eni starts drilling two new wells at Zohr - ENTERPRISE

Monday, 22 October 2018

Italy’s Eni began started drilling two additional wells at the offshore Zohr natural gas field as it prepares to raise output to its 2.7 bcf/d plateau next year, an unnamed source from EGAS tells Al Shorouk. 

The addition brings the total number of wells in the project to 13. Sources said that work on them should be complete within a month and will determine how many other wells Eni will need to drill to hits its target. 

Eni had announced plans earlier this month to increase its investments in the Zohr gas field to USD 16 bn, up from USD 12 bn, by the time it completes the field’s development in July 2019. Production from the field hit 2 bcf/d last month.

Apache signs $9m oil and gas exploration deal in Egypt's Western Desert - AHRAM ONLINE

Ahram Online , Wednesday 18 Jul 2018

United States oil and gas producer Apache Corporation signed a $9 million deal with Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum to explore and produce oil and gas in the Western Desert, the ministry said in a statement published by state news agency MENA on Wednesday.

The deal includes assigning $30 million (EGP 537 million) investment to dig seven wells in the area, the ministry said.

Apache is holder of one of the largest areas in Egypt's Western Desert, estimated at the end of 2017 as 5.6 million gross acres in 25 separate concessions, the company writes on its official website.

Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla said the new deal is part of the ministry's efforts to boost production and reserves of oil and natural gas, and to attract foreign investment.

The new agreement brings the total number of oil and gas deals signed by Egypt since 2014 to 87, the ministry added.

Spud of Ibn Yunus-1X well, Egypt - SDX ENERGY

26 March 2018 

SDX Energy Inc. (TSXV, AIM: SDX), the North Africa focused oil and gas company, is pleased to announce that it has spud its Ibn Yunus-1X exploration well at South Disouq, Egypt. 

The Ibn Yunus-1X well, anticipated to take approximately 30 days to drill,will be targeting the same conventional natural gas bearing Abu Madi intervals discovered in the SD-1X well in April 2017. This is the first of a planned four well program on the South Disouq concession. The Ibn Yunus-1X well will be followed by two appraisal wells (SD-4X and 3X) in the original SD-1X structure which, if successful, will be used as producers thereby completing the base case development plan for the new field. The Company, in its technically approved development plan by the Egyptian authority,forecasts a plateau rate from the SD-1X field of 50 million standard cubic feet per day ("MMscf/d") of conventional natural gas (SDX 55% working interest). However, with any exploration success,the field plateau rate could potentially increase up to 100 MMscf/d. Start-up of production at South Disouq is expected to commence in H2 2018. The final well in the program, Kelvin-1X, will be an exploration well which, if successful, would be tied into the facilities located at the SD-1X field. The Kelvin-1X exploration well is targeting the same package of sands found to be productive at the SD-1X location but in a geologic structure up-dip of SD-1X, thereby reducing the level of risk and uncertainty when compared to a conventional exploration well. 

BTE2 Well Adds 25 mscf/d to Natural Gas Production - EGYPT OIL & GAS

Monday, 8th January 2018

Egypt’s BTE2 Well, which is operated by Royal Dutch Shell’s Joint Venture in Egypt, Badr El Din Petroleum Company (BAPETCO), has started production phase on January 7th, increasing the country’s natural gas output by 25 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d), which is planned to be increased to 50mscf/d after completing the drilling of BTE1 Well, Badr 3 Wells’ Manager, Anton Artes, told Al-Ahram Gate.

Shell plans to drill 63 wells in Egypt in 2018 - EGYPT TODAY

Thu, Oct. 12, 2017

CAIRO – 12 October 2017: Royal Dutch Shell planned to drill 63 wells in Egypt in 2018 at different geological structures in the Western Desert, Shell’s director Andrew Brown announced Thursday.

“This targets increasing oil and gas production volume in the Western Desert,” Brown added.

In a Thursday meeting with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla, Brown explained that Shell’s projects in the next period include Phase 9b in the West Delta Deep Marine Concession with $1.6 billion in total investments.

Brown has also presented plans and recommendations of his company to increase investments in the oil and gas exploration and production.

In June, Shell said it plans to increase investments in oil and gas explorations in Egypt.

Khalda to invest USD 800 mn in drilling in FY 2017-18 - ENTERPRISE / AL MAL / DAILY OIL NEWS

Tuesday, 6 June 2017

Apache JV Khalda Petroleum will invest USD 800 mn in drilling 53 development wells and 38 exploratory wells in FY 2017-18, Al Mal reports. 

Company production is expected to surpass 151,000 bbl/d of crude, condensates, and butane, and 800 mcf/d of gas. 

Khalda will also conduct 3D seismic surveys in West Kalabsha and Khalda-3 concessions.

Khalda makes eight new petroleum discoveries in FY2016/17

The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, visited Khalda Petroleum’s concessions in the Western Desert, accompanied by the Ministry’s First Undersecretary for Oil and Gas Affairs, First Undersecretary for Agreements and Exploration, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC)’s CEO and Vice Chairman, the Egyptian National Gas Holding Company (EGAS)’ CEO and Vice Chairman, and Apache’s CEO.

Edison begins production from new platform in Abu Qir concession, output up 20% - ENTERPRISE / EDISON

Sunday, 9 April 2017

Edison announced beginning production from the new platform North Abu Qir PIII (NA/Q-PIII) at the Abu Qir concession. 

The first production well, NAQPIII#1, came onstream last week and increased the overall natural gas output by circa 20%. 

Two additional wells are expected to be completed by July 2017, Edison says.

Work starts on Leviathan field’s first phase - OIL & GAS JOURNAL

HOUSTON, MARCH/02/2017
By OGJ editors

Wood Group has begun detailed engineering for the 30,000-ton fixed platform to be installed offshore Israel to handle production from deepwater Leviathan natural gas field (OGJ Online, Feb. 23, 2017).

Operator Noble Energy Inc. has drilled two of the four wells to be completed subsea in about 5,200 ft of water during the first development phase. Each will be able to produce more than 300 MMcfd of gas.

Twin 73-mile, 18-in. flowlines will carry production to the platform, which will be set in 270 ft of water about 6 miles from shore.

Eni starts extraction of 200m cubic feet of gas per day from Zohr in October - DAILY NEWS EGYPT

Saturday February 25, 2017

Mohamed Adel

Company to rent a temporary gas processing plant until the completion of the permanent unit, says source

The Italian company Eni aims to begin pumping 200m cubic feet of gas per day from the deep-water Zohr field in the Mediterranean by October, through a temporary ground gas processing station.

A source at the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) told Daily News Egypt that Eni will rent a temporary station until it completes the establishment of the permanent treatment plant.

He added that Eni is set to complete the first phase of the treatment plant with a capacity of 650m cubic feet of gas per day by the end of 2017.

TransGlobe Energy Corporation Announces an Operations Update

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Feb. 21, 2017)

TransGlobe Energy Corporation ("TransGlobe" or the "Company") (TSX:TGL)(NASDAQ:TGA) announces an operational update. All dollar values are expressed in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

EASTERN DESERT - ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
North West Gharib, Arab Republic of Egypt (100% working interest, operated)

The Company is pleased to provide an update on the NWG exploration and development activities.

Shell, Petronas begin working on Borollos gas field 9B - ENTERPRISE / AL SHOROUK

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

Shell and Malaysia’s Petronas have begun working on phase 9B of the Borollos gas field, an unnamed EGAS official tells Al Shorouk. The USD 950 mn project involves drilling eight new wells with a daily capacity of 387 mcf. BG, since acquired by Shell, had suspended work on phase 9A+ and 9B of the gas field last March after the government rejected paying USD 7 per mmBtu for phase 9B, and eventually reached an agreement with the government to maintain a price cap of USD 5.88 per mmBtu for gas from the phase.

Work on the gas field later stalled as the state fell behind on payments to Shell and BG, but Shell ultimately ramped-up exploration and drilling activity on the back of promising data. As we reported last week, the government is reportedly gearing up to repay USD 500 mn-1 bn to IOCs including Shell.