Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) is targeting an additional 250 million cubic feet per day of natural gas production from the Zohr and West Mina fields in the Mediterranean before the end of this year.
The target also includes adding around 80 million cubic feet per day from the fields in the Western Desert's Meleha area before the end of September, following completion of the second phase of the gas processing plant.Badawi made the remarks during the general assembly meeting of EGAS to approve the company's results for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.He said efforts to support and increase domestic natural gas production are continuing through developing existing fields, expanding exploration activities and accelerating the development and connection of new discoveries to the production map.
Badawi said the completion of payments owed to investment partners was a necessary step to create a favorable environment for new investments in exploration and field development. Restoring partners' confidence helped revive investment activity and prevent production from falling to even lower levels, which would have increased the burden of gas imports.He noted that the gas industry, particularly deep-water operations in the Mediterranean, requires substantial long-term investment.
The cost of drilling the Velox-1X well in the Western Mediterranean reached $95 million, highlighting the scale of investment required to access new resources and the importance of maintaining an attractive investment climate for international oil companies.The minister said the ministry is working to accelerate the conversion of new discoveries into actual production according to specific timelines for field development and exploration drilling.
He stressed that restoring production growth requires parallel efforts to increase output from existing fields, develop new discoveries and intensify exploration.Badawi praised cooperation between EGAS and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) in implementing the Meleha processing plant project, stressing the importance of accelerating production-enhancement projects to offset natural declines and support a gradual return to production growth.He said increasing domestic production remains a key pillar for reducing the gas import bill and securing local needs, adding that meeting the requirements of citizens and the country's productive and service sectors is a top priority for the petroleum sector.Securing natural gas supplies also helped maintain regular fuel supplies to the electricity sector throughout the summer despite high temperatures and exceptional challenges in global energy markets, he said.
Reliable gas supplies are also essential for supporting industry, increasing production and exports, attracting new investment and maximizing the economic value of gas through industrial activities.Badawi commended the EGAS and GASCO teams and workers at the national gas network control center for their efforts to secure supplies during the summer and their continued coordination with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
He also highlighted the use of the infrastructure and storage capacity of the Damietta liquefied natural gas plant to support the system for receiving imported gas, enhancing supply flexibility during periods of high demand.Regarding the expansion of natural gas connections to homes, Badawi said supporting connection plans would be a state priority in the coming period, as the service offers greater convenience and quality for consumers while reducing the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and the import bill.He directed the provision of the necessary support to accelerate connection plans and increase their pace across Egypt's governorates.
The minister also called for cooperation programs with governorates, in coordination with the ministries of Local Development and Environment, to improve preparedness for emergencies, strengthen the protection of gas pipelines during excavation work and prevent encroachments on them.
He further called for continued inspection campaigns to ensure compliance with occupational health and safety requirements, protect workers, enhance operational safety and prevent major accidents.EGAS Managing Director and Executive Chairman Sayed Selim reviewed the company's key results for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, saying the period saw intensified exploration, drilling and field development activities aimed at maximizing gas resources and increasing production.
He said four new exploration blocks in the Mediterranean and Delta were awarded with investments approaching $200 million for drilling nine wells. Five new gas exploration agreements were also finalized with investments of $240 million to drill 14 exploration wells, in addition to signing a development contract for the North Atoll field with Arcius Energy.Nine new discoveries were made, including eight gas discoveries and one oil discovery, adding around 2.8 trillion cubic feet to gas reserves, Selim said.