The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoMR) announced a new natural gas discovery in the Nile Delta, with projected production of 50 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) following the drilling of the exploratory well (Nidoco N-2) in the West Abu Madi area, co-operated by Italy’s Eni and the UK’s British Petroleum (bp).
Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, inspected the EDC 56 drilling rig, which executed operations on the well. Nidoco N-2, situated approximately 3 km offshore in shallow waters (depth of ~10m), was drilled from an onshore location utilizing advanced Directional Drilling (ERD) technologies. This strategic approach significantly optimized operational expenditures (OPEX) and enhanced overall process efficiency.
The Minister affirmed that this discovery, along with increased production from existing fields, comes as a result of the petroleum sector’s success in repaying dues owed to foreign partners, with the goal of totally settling them by the end of June.
Badawi explained that the regular settlement of arrears has encouraged partners to intensify exploration and drilling activities, increase production rates, and expand the development of mature fields by extending the duration of agreements. This has helped attract new investments to these areas.
Additionally, Badawi noted that the well’s proximity to existing infrastructure, being less than 2 km from the nearest production facilities, allows for its rapid connection to the grid in the coming weeks and the start of early production, thereby enhancing the efficiency of investment spending.
The Minister explained that this discovery serves as a model for maximizing the use of existing infrastructure, increasing production rates to secure gas supplies to the domestic market. It also reflects the continued success of Eni in exploration activities across its various concession areas.
Abu Madi West development area is operated by Eni and bp in partnership with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), through Petrobel.
