CAIRO, Sept 17 – Egypt is targeting an additional 330 million cubic feet of natural gas production per day before the end of 2026 as the country accelerates exploration and field development across the Mediterranean and Western Desert.
The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, EGAS, expects about 250 million cubic feet per day of additional output from the Zohr and West Mina fields in the Mediterranean by year-end. A further 80 million cubic feet per day is expected from the Meleiha fields in the Western Desert by the end of September following completion of the second phase of a gas processing facility.
The production targets were presented during EGAS’ General Assembly, chaired by Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi, which reviewed the company’s performance for the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
EGAS Executive Managing Director Yassin Mohamed said the company had expanded exploration, drilling and development activity during the year as part of a broader effort to increase Egypt’s gas resources and strengthen domestic production.
Exploration Expands Across Key Basins
EGAS awarded four new gas exploration blocks in the Mediterranean and Nile Delta during the fiscal year, attracting nearly $200 million in investment for nine wells.
The company also concluded five additional exploration agreements valued at $240 million, covering 14 exploration wells, and signed a development agreement for the North Atoll field.
The exploration programme generated nine discoveries, including eight gas discoveries and one oil discovery. Together, the discoveries are estimated to have added approximately 2.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.
Three additional gas exploration wells are currently being drilled and are expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
EGAS has identified another 16 exploration prospects for the next phase of its programme, comprising seven offshore and nine onshore opportunities. The company plans to drill 16 wells during the current fiscal year targeting estimated resources of about 6 trillion cubic feet.
Successful exploration could provide additional gas supplies over the medium term as Egypt seeks to strengthen the balance between domestic production and consumption.
New Seismic Data Attracts International Investment
Geological and seismic work is also being used to identify new opportunities and attract international investment. Seismic survey results from the Western Mediterranean have contributed to new investment interest from TotalEnergies and Chevron, while EGAS is preparing to launch another seismic survey in the Eastern Mediterranean in October.
During the year, the company completed 3D seismic surveys covering 307 square kilometres across its exploration areas. It also conducted a 4D seismic survey covering approximately 2,307 square kilometres in the deepwater West Nile Delta region.
EGAS also highlighted the Velox-1 well in the Western Mediterranean, where positive hydrocarbon indications provided evidence of an active petroleum system and could support further oil exploration in the area.
$1.12 Billion Development Programme
Alongside exploration, EGAS completed nine gas-field development projects and connected 28 new wells to the production network, with combined investment of $1.12 billion.
The company has also launched an international bidding round covering eight gas exploration areas spanning the Mediterranean, Nile Delta and North Sinai.
The combination of new exploration, seismic data and field development is intended to expand Egypt’s domestic resource base while accelerating the conversion of discoveries into producing assets.
Expanding Domestic Gas Infrastructure
EGAS’ activities also extend beyond upstream production. The company said it met the electricity sector’s fuel requirements in full throughout the fiscal year, supporting domestic power generation and wider energy security.
EGAS connected an additional 804,000 homes to Egypt’s natural gas network during the year, bringing the total number of residential units connected to approximately 16.2 million and extending natural gas services to around 69 million people.
Natural gas distribution was also introduced for the first time in 58 areas across the country.
The company invested a further LE14 billion in projects to upgrade and strengthen Egypt’s national gas transmission network, with the aim of improving system efficiency and increasing the capacity available to transport gas to consumers and major economic sectors.
The expanded production programme, new exploration acreage and continued investment in transmission infrastructure form part of Egypt’s broader effort to increase domestic gas availability and strengthen the country’s energy supply base.
