The Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) has provided an overview of the North Gargoub Offshore block, one of the 14 blocks included in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR)’s 2026 international bid round.

The block is located in the southwestern corner of the North West Mediterranean Sea region, northwest of Matruh city, and covers an area of 6,800 square kilometers (km²), with water depths ranging from around 50 to 2,800 meters (m).

It lies within the Herodotus geological basin and has previously been covered by 3D and 2D seismic surveys spanning 4,907 km² and 4,158 km, respectively. One well has also been drilled in the area.

Previous concessionaires include US-based Chevron, France’s TotalEnergies, and Egypt’s Tharwa Petroleum, according to EUG.

The block is near the North Gargoub and Matruh (Teen) discoveries, as well as the Obaiyed gas-condensate fields.

The bid round closing date is December 14, 2026.

The MoPMR’s 2026 international bid round includes 14 oil and gas exploration blocks, comprising eight blocks in the Mediterranean Sea, Nile Delta, and North Sinai offered by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and six blocks in the Gulf of Suez, Sinai, and Western Desert offered by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).