The Ministry of Petroleum in Egypt has announced that three recently discovered gas fields in the country are expected to raise natural gas output in the country by 50 per cent in 2018 and 100 per cent in 2020
In a statement to Reuters, Tarek El Molla, petroleum minister, said, “The fields of Zohr, North Alexandria and Nooros are among the most important projects that will increase natural gas production and will contribute to natural gas self-sufficiency by the end of 2018.”
In spite of having significant natural gas reserves in the country, Egypt imports natural gas from the neighbouring countries in order to satisfy the growing domestic consumption. The country aims to reduce the imports of natural gas by 2019, by taking steps to boost up gas production from the recently discovered gas fields.
The production of natural gas increased about 5.1bn cf per day in 2017, which was up from 4.4bn cf per day in 2016, after the production started from the first phase of British Petroleum’s (BP) North Alexandria project.
The Zohr mediterranean gas field was discovered by Italy's Eni in 2015 and started production at Nooros, its Nile Delta offshore field, in September 2015.
The North Alexandria concession is about 65km off the coast of Alexandria. BP holds a stake of 60 per cent in the concession, with RWE DEA holding the remaining 40 per cent interest.
The Nooros gas and condensate field is situated in the shallow waters of the Nile Delta, approximately 120km north-east of Alexandria. Discovered in July 2015, the gas field is part of the Abu Madi west development license.
According to the petroleum ministry, the gas output from the three large gas fields are expected to collectively bring 4.6bn cf of gas per day from the beginning of 2019.
Egypt is in discussions with the suppliers of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in order to delay the shipments for 2017. The country also aims to cut down gas purchase in 2018, noting the gas output from the three major gas fields.
