Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi met with William Lin, Executive Vice President of bp Global for Gas and Low-Carbon Energy Affairs, along with other bp officials, to discuss the company’s new plans to invest in the development and production of natural gas in Egypt, particularly following its recent discoveries in the Mediterranean.

This year, bp completed drilling activities from two gas discoveries offshore the Mediterranean; El-King-2 and El Fayoum-5. The two exploration wells will be tied into the company’s existing onshore infrastructure as part of the West Nile Delta (WND) Gas Development project.

During the meeting, Minister Badawi emphasized the importance of the partnership with bp. He also highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation in projects aimed at increasing local natural gas production, reducing import costs, and encouraging further investments in the sector. The meeting also addressed the company’s upcoming exploration plans in its Mediterranean concession areas.

Earlier this year, bp started production from the second development phase of the Raven field, offshore the Mediterranean. The new wells are expected to produce approximately 220 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas and 7 million barrels (mmbbls) of condensate.

The WND Gas Development comprises a series of gas condensate fields located offshore Egypt, within the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater concessions. The Raven field, the final phase of the WND project, has been in production since early 2021. Its initial phase included the development of eight subsea wells, located up to 65 km offshore, at water depths ranging from 550 to 700 meters.

bp has been present in Egypt for over 60 years, with investments exceeding $35 billion. The British giant energy company currently produces around 70% of Egypt’s natural gas through joint ventures with the Pharaonic Petroleum Company (PhPC) and Petrobel in the East Nile Delta, as well as through bp-operated fields in the West Nile Delta.