Putting the Zohr-6 well into production has added 65 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcf/d) , said Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources during the general assembly meetings of Belayim Petroleum Company (Petrobel) and Petroshorouk to approve the results of the fiscal year 2024/2025, in the presence of petroleum sector leaders and representatives of international investment partners Italian Eni, British bp, Russian Rosneft, Hungarian Arkeus Energy, and Emirati Mubadala.

He stressed that the Zohr field is an integral part of every household in Egypt due to its role in securing a significant share of the domestic natural gas needs.

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Badawi commended the field’s investment partners and employees for their role in boosting production, executing plans, and upholding safety and environmental standards.

It is worth mentioning that in February of this year, Saipem 10000 drillship began operations at the Zohr gas field and is supposed to single-track three wells, starting with well Zohr 13, then Zohr 6, followed by Zohr 9.

Zohr field, the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea, is located within the offshore Shorouk Block. The Block’s Ownership is divided between Eni  50% stake, Rosneft holds 30%, BP holds 10% and Mubadala Petroleum holds 10%.  The project is executed by operator Petrobel on behalf of contractor Petroshrouk.

The meeting reviewed a proposal to expand oil and gas exploration at greater depths, based on seismic studies to assess feasibility. The Minister urged that comprehensive studies be conducted and long-term scenarios be developed as solutions to unlock full potential and increase production.

Throughout the year, Petroshorouk (a joint venture between Eni and its partners and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company)  has made new investments amounting to $569 million. It is also preparing for further operations on the Zohr-9 well, as well as the drilling of two new development wells in the current fiscal year.

For its part, Petrobel (joint venture between Eni and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation) has allocated investments amounting to over $460 million to production and exploration. The company recorded crude oil production of around 56,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) from the Nile Delta and Sinai, despite challenges from aging fields, some reaching 70 years in operation.

Furthermore, the company has added three new wells in the Sinai fields, contributing 4,700 bbl/d. It also carried out an intensive well maintenance program on 96 wells, improving productivity by about 6,000 bbl/d using different technologies.

Currently, Petrobel is preparing additional studies to boost production at the Abu Rudeis–Sidri field in the Gulf of Suez in cooperation with Eni, along with intensified geological studies in the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean to identify and assess available opportunities.