Egypt's Nile Delta Yields New Gas Discovery

(MENAFN) Egypt has announced a fresh natural gas discovery in the Nile Delta capable of producing an estimated 50 million cubic feet per day — a development that, while modest against the country's current daily output of approximately 4.2 billion cubic feet, offers a timely boost to a nation grappling with a widening energy deficit.

The Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry confirmed the find in an official statement Saturday, attributing the breakthrough to the successful drilling of exploratory well "Nidoco N-2," located within a concession area co-operated by Italian energy giant Eni and British major BP.

The well was drilled onshore using advanced directional drilling techniques, which the ministry said significantly curtailed costs while enhancing operational efficiency. Crucially, the site sits less than two kilometers from the nearest existing production infrastructure — a geographical advantage that is expected to accelerate the well's integration into the national gas network, with early production anticipated within weeks.

The West Abu Madi development area, where the discovery was made, is operated by Eni in partnership with BP and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation through Petrobel — a joint venture between the state authority and Eni.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of a pronounced and growing imbalance between Egypt's gas supply and demand. The country consumes roughly 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually — averaging around 6 billion cubic feet per day — while current domestic production stands at approximately 4.2 billion cubic feet daily. That gap widens further to an estimated 6.2 billion cubic feet per day on average, and surges to around 7.2 billion during peak summer demand.

A significant factor behind the supply shortfall is the gradual decline of the flagship Zohr gas field — discovered in 2015 and still recognized as the Mediterranean's largest, with reserves estimated at roughly 30 trillion cubic feet. At its height, Zohr accounted for approximately 25% of Egypt's total gas production, peaking at 3.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2022. However, output has deteriorated steadily since then — sliding to 2.4 billion cubic feet in 2023, 1.9 billion in 2024, and further to approximately 1.25 billion by mid-2025, according to official figures. The field had initially come online in December 2017, producing 800 million cubic feet per day.

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