Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) has launched its 2026 international bid round, offering 14 oil and natural gas exploration blocks to international and Egyptian companies, as part of efforts to attract investment and increase domestic production, Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, said.

The bid round, which opened on August 11, includes eight blocks operated by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) in the Mediterranean Sea, Nile Delta, and North Sinai, with bids closing at 12 p.m. Cairo time on December 14, 2026, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).

The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) is offering six blocks in the Gulf of Suez, Sinai, and Western Desert, with bids closing at 12 p.m. Cairo time on November 11, 2026.

The blocks are being offered digitally through the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) under production-sharing agreements. The platform will provide investors with technical data, respond to inquiries, and receive and evaluate bids on technical and financial grounds.

Badawi said the new round offers a range of competitive investment opportunities, with many of the blocks located near existing fields and infrastructure, including pipeline networks, processing facilities, and export facilities. This proximity is expected to reduce development costs and accelerate the connection of new discoveries to production.

Badawi made the announcement during a meeting with the heads and managers of international companies operating in Egypt, where he reviewed current production and exploration activities and discussed companies’ plans for exploration, field development, and production growth over the next five years.

In March 2026, EGAS Chairman and Executive Managing Director Sayed Selim said the company planned to launch a new bid round covering several areas in the Western Mediterranean.

Selim also said EGAS planned to drill 17 exploratory wells during the upcoming fiscal year and begin the first phase of a seismic survey project in the Eastern Mediterranean during H2 2026.