The total production capacity of the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO)’s Western Desert Gas Complex reached    1.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d)  following the launch of trial operations for the new “Train D” production line, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR). Mohamed Marzouk, GASCO Chairman, said that the new line added 600 million cubic feet  (mmcf/d) in the complex’s capacity, with actual operating rates already exceeding 500 mmcf/d.

Marzouk’s statements came during an inspection visit by Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, to the complex at the end of his field tour across Western Desert production sites. Badawi emphasized that this strategic infrastructure bolsters the sector’s ability to process natural gas produced from various fields before pumping it into the National  Grid. He directed the sector to maximize the utilization of derivative-rich natural gas from discoveries by channeling them to GASCO’s separation plants to achieve the highest economic value.

Badawi further explained that the project supports the localization of the petrochemical industry by directing separated natural gas derivatives to plants as raw materials, effectively reducing the national import bill.

The complex receives natural gas from Western Desert fields and the Raven field in North Alexandria to produce high-value products, including an ethane-propane mix for the Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Company (Sidpec) and the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company (ETHYDCO).

Additionally, the facility extracts liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to reduce import reliance and provides condensates to refineries for the production of petroleum products. The complex also produces commercial propane for export markets. The expansion project was executed through an Egyptian consortium comprising Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) and The Petroleum Projects and Technical Consultations Company (PETROJET).

Established in 2000, the Western Desert Gas Complex began by supplying Sidpec with raw materials. It underwent significant expansions in 2010 and 2016 before being linked to the Raven field in 2021 through strategic pipelines.