Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, made a surprise visit early this morning to the headquarters of Rashid Petroleum Company (Rashpetco) and Burullus Gas Company in Cairo, as part of the Minister’s regular inspection tours to petroleum sector companies.

The visit aimed to follow up on the company’s progress and work plans. It also ensured direct communication with executive leaders and work teams as the minister sat to listen to their views, suggestions, and challenges.

During the visit, the Minister also held a meeting that was attended by Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, Chairman and Managing Director of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), Sayed Selim, Chairman of Rashpetco and Burullus Gas Company, in addition to a number of senior company officials.

The Minister reviewed the production performance of the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) concession area in the Mediterranean Sea, one of Egypt’s key natural gas production zones. The area has recorded positive results in the past few months following the completion and start-up of the 10th and 11th development phases, which were brought online as part of the Ministry’s plan to boost domestic gas output.

Badawi also reviewed the company’s exploration programs, advanced seismic surveys, and technical studies to assess the area’s untapped potential and identify new drilling prospects. He highlighted the importance of the investment incentives and reforms implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) over the past year and a half, which have accelerated the pace of natural gas development and production projects, including those in the WDDM area.

Emphasizing the importance of continuous communication with company leaders and employees, Badawi listened to their opinions and proposals for improving performance and addressing operational challenges. He underscored Rashpetco and Burullus’s pivotal role as major contributors to Egypt’s natural gas production and affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting their output.

Badawi has been making surprise visits on the sector’s companies to ensure quality. In November, he paid a surprise visit to the Pharaonic Petroleum Company (PHPC) headquarters in Cairo, to review the company’s operations and production situation at its Mediterranean natural gas concessions.