As part of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ strategy to boost domestic production, the General Petroleum Company (GPC) has started operating the first of three modern 1,000-horsepower drilling rigs, supplied by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), to ramp up drilling operations at the Gharib oilfields in the Eastern Desert.

The new drilling rigs boast high operational efficiency, faster well completion, and easy mobility between sites at a lower cost—enhancing the execution of plans in a more efficient and cost-effective manner, said Mohamed Abdel Mageed, Chairman of GPC, in a report to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

The company is currently implementing an intensive drilling program, supported and supervised by EGPC, aimed at drilling 75 wells within 12 months. This is expected to add about 7,500 barrels per day (bbl/d) and increase the total production of Ras Gharib fields to 9,000 bbl/d, driven by the efforts of GPC’s engineers and technicians.

Notably, this step falls under the first pillar of the Ministry’s strategy to increase production rates, under the supervision of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi. It supports GPC’s efforts and aims to maximize the utilization of its capabilities, ultimately contributing to a reduction in the import bill.