Egypt Begins Production on Largest Undersea Gas Field in Mediterranean - VOA

December 18, 2017 3:00 PM
Edward Yeranian

CAIRO —

Egypt's economic prospects are looking brighter after the long-anticipated production of undersea gas from the al Zohr gas field began coming online in recent days.

Petroleum Minister Tareq al Molla tells Arab media the al Zohr field will be a major boon for the economy, saving $750 million to possibly several billion dollars a year in energy costs.

He says that the giant al Zohr gas field has a reserve of 30 trillion cubic feet and the first phase of production of 1.2 billion cubic feet per day is expected to be reached around mid 2018, with production being ramped up to 2.7 billion cubic feet per day by mid- to late 2019.

Italy's ENI petroleum company is heading production of the al Zohr field, while the BP company is overseeing production of another large undersea gas field off Egypt's Nile Delta region, known as al Nooros.

Libyan Unity Prime Minister Visits Egypt After Oil Exports Resume - VoA

September 16, 2016 7:52 PM
Edward Yeranian

CAIRO — Libya has resumed oil exports for the first time since military forces under the command of army General Khalifa Haftar, loyal to the parliament in Tobruk, recaptured oil installations west of Benghazi this past week.

Meanwhile, Fayez Saraj, who heads Libya’s U.N.-brokered national unity government, met in Cairo with the head of the Tobruk-based parliament, Aquelah Saleh, according to Arab and Egyptian media. The men reportedly have been trying to cobble together an agreement on a new government acceptable to rival political factions.

Parliament Speaker Saleh has repeatedly insisted on the need for a limited-size government acceptable to all parties. The Tobruk parliament refused to approve a unity government, composed of 30 ministers, earlier this year.