Shell Egypt, and its partners; the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and Petronas agreed to commence the 11th development phase in Egypt’s Nile Delta offshore West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) concession in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Phase 11 development project includes the drilling of three development wells using the Scaraboe 9 offshore drilling rig. The rig is already drilling three wells in Phase 10 development project which the WDDM partners have sanctioned in 2023 and where drilling started in March 2024. Drilling Phase 10 and Phase 11 consecutively represents a significant operational and cost optimization opportunity as it maximizes the value of the rig mobilization at the site.

Dalia Elgabry, Shell’s Vice President & Country Chair for Egypt, said: “Shell is proud to continue its long-standing collaboration with the Egyptian government and our partners to unlock the full potential of the West Delta Deep Marine concession. Phase 11 represents a significant investment to secure additional gas supply into Egypt’s energy system, and we are committed to delivering this project efficiently and safely.”

It is worth noting that Shell and partners have developed the WDDM concession across 11 development phases. The concession comprises 17 gas fields, located at water depths ranging from 300 meters to 1,200 meters and spanning approximately 90-120 kilometers from the shore.