Production at the Zohr natural gas mega field surged in H1 2019 to reach a total of 11.3 billion cubic meters (bcm), increasing by 3.6 times compared to the level of production recorded in the same period a year earlier, according to a statement by Rosneft.

Rosneft is part of a consortium working on the Zohr mega offshore project, the largest natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, alongside Eni, BP, and Mubadala Petroleum.

The field was discovered in 2015 and began production in December 2017. Production level currently stands at 2.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) from 11 production wells.

Zohr’s output is expected to reach 2.7 bcf/d by the end of 2019, a Ministry of Petroleum source confirmed to Al-Ahram Gate earlier.

In May, Italy’s Eni completed the gas processing units in Zohr, increasing its capacity to 3.2 bcf/d.

It is worth noting that the increase in gas production has helped raise condensate production from the field by 14.3% to around 4,000 tons per day compared to 3,500 tons per day in 2018.

The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) owns a 50% stake in the project. Eni originally owned the other 50%, but it sold Russia’s Rosneft a 30% stake, as well as two 10% stakes to BP and the Abu-Dhabi based Mubadala Petroleum.