The Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, chaired a meeting to review the development of the Atoll gas field, Egypt Oil & Gas reports.

El Molla urged the companies involved in the project to redouble their work to meet their production timelines and confirmed the ministry’s commitment to work with international oil companies (IOCs) to quicken their development of Egypt’s natural gas fields.

The overall development of the Atoll fields, according to the head of Pharaonic Petroleum Company, Hassan Abady, has reached 70%. Three wells have been drilled and one completed. He noted that a 20-inch diameter pipeline will be installed by the end of August 2017 and that Pharaonic Petroleum has nearly completed its work on electricity pipes and underwater controls.

BP has invested $3.8 billion in its North Damietta Concession and expects to begin production from it before the end of 2017.

Besides El Molla, the ministry’s first undersecretary for gas affairs, the head of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), the head of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), EGAS’ vice president for production and field development, the head of Pharaonic Petroleum, the head of Petrojet, and the BP’s regional manager also attended the meeting.

The minister also noted the importance of trained employees and highlighted the benefits of training centers to prepare potential employees to work in the natural gas sector.