In February 2016, Egypt will witness its first shale gas production on the hands of Royal Dutch Shell and American Apache, reported Daily News Egypt.

Production will be made from the Apollonia field in the Western Desert, where Khalda petroleum company will carry out the operations on behalf of the two companies, where it will begin by drilling two experimental wells, data and pilot wells.

Core samples and logging will be taken to study and evaluate the field, said Tarek El Molla, Chairman of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC). In December, the EGPC chairman signed an agreement with Apache and Shell Egypt with an investment value that ranges between $30m and $40m to produce shale gas.

Construction works of surface facilities will start from September until December 2015, while the first well will be linked to the facilities by the beginning of January 2016.