Baker Hughes (BHGE), a GE company, has received a subsea contract from Petrobel for phase two development of the Zohr Gas Field which is located in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Egypt
Under the deal, BHGE will be responsible for providing project management, engineering procurement, fabrication, construction, testing and transportation of a subsea production system, according to the company.
In addition, BHGE will also support the installation, commissioning and start-up operations for the project development.
In a statement to The National, Tarek El-Molla, minister of petroleum and mineral resources in Egypt, said, “Maximising domestic energy resources and optimising reliability of their supplies are core elements of Egypt’s vision. We are able to increase the value and efficiency of the sector by driving a sustainable and energy-efficient economy through the ministry’s modernisation programme in partnership with companies such as BHGE.”
“The Zohr gasfield is playing a major role in the development of Egypt’s domestic energy resources, revenue generation and economic growth,” he added to the source.
Petrobel, a joint venture between IEOC and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), is in charge of the development of Zohr Field on behalf of PetroSherouk, a joint venture between Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and IEOC.
The Zohr field is one of the most significant developments in the country. The field is located in the Shorouk concession with an area of 3,765 sq km. Discovered by Italy’s Eni in August 2015, Zohr is the largest natural gas field in the Mediterranean with a total potential of 850 bcm of gas.
With the new deal, Egypt hopes to increase the value and efficiency of the domestic gas output and achieve a sustainable and energy-efficient economy.
Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of BHGE, said that the project is expected to meet the country’s growing gas demand and save the country’s foreign currency that is presently being spent on importing gas from other international market.
