Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2026, with Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi to review key ministry files, including natural gas supplies, domestic oil and gas production, investment, refining capacity, and mining.
The meeting reviewed the readiness of Egypt’s natural gas supply system, which helped maintain regular supplies to power plants and industrial facilities and meet consumption needs during the peak summer period. Badawi highlighted efforts to increase oil and gas production and attract investment, saying the completion of payments owed to sector partners in June 2026 marked a turning point in restoring investor confidence and creating a more favorable climate for new exploration and field-development investments.
He said efforts to raise domestic gas output include developing existing fields, expanding exploration and accelerating the development and connection of discoveries. Egypt is targeting an additional 250 million cubic feet per day from the Zohr and West Mina fields in the Mediterranean before the end of 2026, alongside around 80 million cubic feet per day from the Melehia fields in the Western Desert by the end of September.
The Minister also reviewed efforts to modernize petroleum infrastructure, including upgrading refineries, improving crude oil and petroleum-product transportation networks, expanding storage and handling capacity, and maximizing production assets. Refinery utilization has risen from 66% to more than 80% following improved crude availability and higher unit efficiency, contributing to increased gasoline and diesel production, lower import needs, and better coverage of domestic market demand.
Badawi also said that Egypt is continuing to expand natural gas connections to households, a key priority for reducing reliance on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and cutting import costs. Gas connections reached 804,000 housing units during fiscal year 2025/26, replacing the use of about 14 million LPG cylinders.