In brief
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has confirmed that drilling at an exploration well in the Temsah concession offshore the eastern Mediterranean Sea has yielded a promising gas reservoir estimated at 200 billion cubic feet. Technical and reservoir studies are underway to assess recoverable reserves and production potential, while a 22‑km pipeline is planned to connect the well to the existing Abu Madi‑El Gamil pipeline, boosting the country’s domestic gas supply. The discovery is operated by Italy’s Eni and Australia’s Woodside, with drilling performed by Petrobel, a joint venture between Eni and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on Friday that drilling at an exploration well in the Temsah concession, an offshore block in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, has yielded a promising natural‑gas reservoir.
The well, operated by the oil and gas exploration and production block in partnership with Eni and Woodside, produced a gas‑bearing layer with favorable petrophysical properties and a net thickness of approximately 15 m in true vertical depth.
Initial estimates from the ministry indicate the reservoir holds about 200 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
Egypt’s ministry said technical and reservoir studies are continuing to evaluate the discovery, determine recoverable reserves, assess production potential, and prepare a detailed development and production plan.
To accelerate the development of the find, the ministry outlined plans for a 22‑km pipeline that would connect the well to the existing Abu Madi‑El Gamil pipeline and other national infrastructure.
The pipeline is expected to use existing infrastructure, thereby reducing the time required to bring the discovery into production and supporting the country’s domestic natural‑gas output.
The partnership that operates the concession is a joint venture between Italy’s Eni and Australia’s Woodside, with Petrobel—an alliance between Eni and Egypt’s General Petroleum Corporation—carrying out the drilling on behalf of the partners.
The discovery arrives as part of Egypt’s broader strategy to diversify its energy mix and increase domestic natural‑gas supply to reduce reliance on imported fuel.
According to the ministry, the new gas field could contribute to the country’s goal of achieving greater energy self‑sufficiency in the coming years.
Experts say that while the initial estimate is encouraging, the exact recoverable volume will depend on the continued technical assessment and the economics of bringing the field online.
The ministry’s announcement comes as part of ongoing efforts to develop offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean, a region that has seen significant gas discoveries by several operators.
Officials from the ministry stressed the importance of the pipeline plan in integrating the new reservoir into Egypt’s existing natural‑gas network.
The discovery is expected to impact local and national stakeholders, with potential benefits for domestic supply, employment, and revenue generation through increased gas output.
