Executives from Italy’s Eni, France’s TotalEnergies and the United States’ Chevron said Egypt’s integrated natural gas infrastructure, strategic location and regional and international partnerships are key to accelerating the development of East Mediterranean gas resources, reducing development costs and bringing supplies to regional and global markets more efficiently.
The remarks came during the Mediterranean Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, hosted by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina from Oct. 20 to 22 under the theme “Egypt: A Key Pillar of Energy Security in the Mediterranean Region.” The event was attended by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi, his Cypriot counterpart Michael Damianos, Alexandria Governor Ayman Attia, Greek Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Papageorgiou, and senior energy industry officials and representatives of international companies.
Speakers highlighted Egypt’s growing role in regional gas transportation projects linking Cypriot fields to Egyptian infrastructure, where existing processing and liquefaction facilities can be used to support exports. Such arrangements, they said, would strengthen East Mediterranean integration, enhance energy security and provide more efficient and competitive routes to markets.
Diego Portoghese, Eni’s executive vice president for North Africa and the Levant, said leveraging Egypt’s existing infrastructure would accelerate the development of East Mediterranean gas resources, lower costs and improve access to markets. Eni aims to begin production from Cyprus’ Cronos gas field in 2028 by using Egyptian infrastructure, he said.
The project, which reached a final investment decision several months ago, offers a model of cross-border cooperation and is set to establish the first fully integrated value chain between Cyprus and Egypt, he added. The project will rely on Egypt’s existing offshore facilities, transportation networks, processing plants and export infrastructure, reducing development costs and implementation time while accelerating gas commercialization, Portoghese said.
The arrangement would help Egypt maximize returns on its infrastructure investments and reinforce its position as a regional energy hub, while giving Cyprus a competitive route to market for its gas. He reaffirmed Eni’s commitment to investing in Egypt, where it has operated for more than 70 years and is the country’s largest natural gas producer.
Portoghese also cited the West Denis discovery, for which a commercial agreement was reached in August 2025, followed by the start of drilling just two months later. The discovery is estimated to hold around 2 trillion cubic feet of gas. Eni is working with its partner BP and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation to complete the procedures required for a final investment decision, with production targeted to begin within less than two years as part of efforts to accelerate development of the discovery, he added.
Julien Pouget, TotalEnergies’ senior vice president for exploration and production in the Middle East and North Africa, said Egypt’s role as an energy bridge between producing regions and consumer markets was becoming increasingly important amid geopolitical conflicts, trade disruptions and renewed concerns over energy security.
He described the final investment decision on the Cronos project, developed in partnership with Eni, as a significant milestone for both Egypt and Cyprus. Egypt has exceptional energy infrastructure, including processing and storage facilities, liquefied natural gas export terminals, pipeline networks, the SUMED pipeline system, the Suez Canal and major ports, Pouget said.
These assets give the country a strong capacity to connect energy resources with international markets.