Egypt will implement its largest-ever gas drilling programme in the Mediterranean in 2026, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said on Tuesday during an inspection of Shell’s new offshore operations.

The minister visited the STENA ICEMAX drillship to monitor the start of drilling at the first production well in the West Meina field, located in the North East Amriya region. Initial production from the field is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026, with expected output reaching approximately 160m cubic feet of gas per day and 1,900 barrels of condensates.

Badawi stated that the commencement of work at West Meina reflects the success of the ministry’s incentive policies, which aim to encourage investment through credibility and mutual benefit. He added that these investments are a key indicator of the ministry’s progress toward increasing production, reducing the national import bill, and securing gas supplies for the local market.

The minister noted that the current year is seeing record drilling operations across various production areas to explore new reservoirs. These efforts are intended to bolster Egypt’s medium-term production capacity and meet domestic demand.

Dalia El Gabry, Chair of Shell Egypt, said the company has entered a new phase of its Mediterranean drilling plans for 2026. She noted that the strategy aims to accelerate the development of the West Meina field while continuing exploratory drilling for new resources. El Gabry added that the return of strong foreign investment to the Egyptian petroleum sector demonstrates growing investor confidence in the ministry’s modern strategy, which has enhanced the investment climate.

Shell’s current four-well programme includes the West Meina 1 and West Meina 2 wells in the North East Amriya area. Shell operates the site with a 60% stake, while Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) holds the remaining 40%. The wells will be linked to existing production facilities at the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) area.

The programme also involves drilling the “Sirius” exploration well to evaluate a gas reservoir in shallower waters in North East Amriya. This will be followed by the drilling of the “Philox” well in the North Cleopatra area of the Herodotus Basin, which aims to open new horizons for gas discoveries in the Mediterranean.

The inspection tour was attended by Sayed Selim, Executive Managing Director of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and Mohamed Hassan, Head of the Central Administration for the General Secretariat at the Ministry. They were joined by Mahmoud Nagi, Head of the Central Administration for Safety, Environment, and Climate and official spokesperson for the Ministry, and Mohamed Deghidy, head of Rashid Petroleum Company.

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