The Egyptian Parliament approved a draft law licensing Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla to contract the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and IEOC Production BV to conduct petroleum exploration activities in the Gulf of Suez and Nile Delta regions, El Ahram Newspaper reported.

This contract will include petroleum exploration, development, and exploitation activities.

The Parliament, being chaired by First Undersecretary Ahmed Saad El-Din, further approved a draft law submitted by the government licensing the minister to contract the EGPC and Apache Khaleda Corporation LDC to search for, develop, and exploit petroleum in the integrated research and development region of the Western Desert.

Additionally, the Parliament approved a draft law submitted by the government licensing the minister to contract the EGPC and TransGlobe West Bakr Inc, TransGlobe West Garb Inc and TGNW Garb Inc, to search for, develop and exploit petroleum in the development areas of Mena Bakr, West Ghareb, and North West Gharib Al-Barirah in the Eastern Desert.