Tag Oil, a Canadian-based international oil and gas exploration company, is preparing to drill a  T-200 vertical well in the Badr Oil Field (BED-1) concession located in the Western Desert in 2026, according to its first quarter (Q1) of 2026 operational update release.

During Q1 of 2026, the company maintained production from the BED-1 concession to an average of about 65 barrels of oil per day (bbl/d).    The concession houses multiple oil and gas fields and has recently become a focal point for massive production recovery. In January, the Western Desert Operating Petroleum Company (WEPCO), the Egyptian joint partner with TAG Oil, announced an increase in total crude oil output at the Badr-1 field to over 7,500 bbl/d, representing a more than tenfold increase from the 800 bbl/d recorded when the company first assumed management of the site.

“I am pleased to report that funding of the Company’s planned 2026 activities is in place, we are maintaining stable production at BED-1, and we are advancing preparations to drill a new well aimed at bringing additional production online in the second half of 2026,” said Abby Badwi, Executive Chairman and CEO of TAG Oil.

In the same context, TAG Oil has selected an existing wellbore in the Southeast Ras Qattara (SERQ) concession located in the Western Desert and aims to conduct a Diagnostic Fracture Injectivity Test (DFIT) in Q2of 2026 to assess the potential of the reservoir, targeting the ARF formation.

If the testing proves successful, the company will drill a new vertical well at SERQ by Q4 of 2026 to determine the commercial viability of the reservoir.

The company’s 2026 drilling plans reflect the discussions held with  Karim Badwi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, last September. During those talks, TAG Oil reiterated its plan to grow its operations in the Western Desert, utilize unconventional potential, and increase production, building on its successful experience in Egypt.

The company entered Egypt in 2022 through an agreement with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) to develop the Badr Oil Field (BED-1) in the Western Desert.