The Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) has provided an overview of the North El Maamura Offshore block, one of eight Mediterranean and Nile Delta blocks offered by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ 2026 international bid round, launched on August 11.

According to EUG, the block covers an area of 2,040 square kilometers (km²) in the Nile Delta geologic basin. It is located offshore in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 90 km north-northeast of Alexandria, with its southern and northern boundaries situated roughly 75 km and 110 km from the shoreline, respectively. Three wells have previously been drilled in the block at water depths ranging from 1,000 to 1,550 meters (m).

Photo Source: EUG’s LinkedIn Account

The area has been covered by 2D and 3D seismic surveys spanning 3,694 km and 2,251 km², respectively. The block was previously held by Shell and BG, and it is bordered to the east and south by gas-producing fields within the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) Development Leases.

The bid round closing date for the block is December 14, 2026. The ministry’s 2026 bid round contains 14 oil and gas exploration blocks, comprising eight in the Mediterranean Sea, Nile Delta, and North Sinai regions offered by EGAS, as well as six blocks in the Gulf of Suez, Sinai, and Western Desert regions offered by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).