The Egyptian cabinet has approved five draft laws regarding petroleum commitment agreements with a number of national and international companies, it said on Wednesday.

The laws included petroleum exploration agreements between the state's Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Apache Khalda Corporationa, Tharwa Petroleum Company, IPR Trans Oil Corporation, HBS International Egypt, and North Petroleum International Company.

They also included a gas exploration agreement between the state's Egyptian Natural Gas Holding and Dana Gas Egypt.

(Reporting by Momen Saeed Atallah, Writing by Elwely ElWelly, Editing by Louise Heavens)