The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) held an expanded meeting to discuss environmental challenges facing production companies in the Western Desert, as part of its efforts to enhance environmental performance and strengthen health, safety and environment (HSE) systems.

The meeting, led by EGPC CEO Salah Abdel Kerim and coordinated with Tamer Aieysh, EGPC Chairman Assistant for HSE, was held with the Western Desert geographical committee chaired by Khalda Petroleum Company. It comes as part of a series of coordination meetings with production companies aimed at identifying actual environmental challenges and developing practical mechanisms to improve performance and ensure compliance with regulations.

Discussions covered key issues including produced water management, safe waste handling, prevention of oil leaks and spills, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness, alongside promoting a culture of environmental compliance.

Participants stressed the importance of shifting from viewing environmental requirements as regulatory obligations to a core pillar for sustainable operations, risk reduction, and efficiency improvement. They also highlighted the need to unify approaches among companies within the same geographical area to enhance coordination, knowledge sharing, and implementation of solutions.

Technical discussions reviewed company presentations focusing on improving environmental management systems, pollution control, data quality, and inspection programs, helping define clear priorities for the next phase.

The meeting also reviewed the EGPC Green Oilfield initiative ahead of issuing its guiding framework and launch, with emphasis on translating discussions into actionable plans, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring effective follow-up.

EGPC reaffirmed that improving environmental performance is essential for sustainable production, environmental protection, and boosting the competitiveness of Egypt’s petroleum sector.

Earlier this year, EGPC launched a unified digital platform designed to monitor, assess, and analyze the environmental performance of affiliated companies, with the aim of improving transparency and boosting operational efficiency across the sector.