During fiscal year (FY) 2016/2017, Ganoub El Wadi Petroleum Company (Ganope) drilled 13 exploratory new wells, the Head of Ganope, Mohamed El Shemy, said during the company’s annual general assembly, Egypt Oil & Gas reports.

El Shemy also said that the company increased the number of its exploration and production (E&P) agreements to 17 and is planning to sign four more.

The company, according to Shemy, has initiated a comprehensive exploration of its open areas. TGS, Schlumberger, and WesternGeco will collect data for Area A in the Red Sea while TGS will collect data in Area B of Upper Egypt. The data collection will facilitate the offering of international tenders.

The general assembly reviewed Ganope’s operations for FY 2016/2017. The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, attended and chaired the meeting.