Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
UAE-based oil and gas company Dana Gas has announced a new onshore natural gas discovery in Egypt’s Nile Delta following the successful drilling of the North El-Basant 1 exploratory well, adding further momentum to exploration activity in one of the country’s most established energy-producing regions.
Preliminary evaluations from the well indicate estimated recoverable reserves ranging between 15 and 25 billion cubic feet of gas, a volume that, while modest by global standards, is commercially significant within the context of Egypt’s mature onshore gas sector. The discovery highlights the continued prospectivity of the Nile Delta basin, where incremental finds play a crucial role in sustaining production levels and supporting domestic energy demand.
The North El-Basant 1 well was drilled as part of Dana Gas’s ongoing exploration program, which focuses on identifying low-risk opportunities near existing infrastructure. This approach is expected to enable a relatively fast-track development process, as nearby processing facilities and pipeline networks could allow the newly discovered gas to be brought onstream efficiently and at comparatively low cost.
For Egypt, the discovery aligns with broader national objectives to maintain natural gas output, limit production declines from aging fields, and strengthen the country’s position as a regional gas hub. Onshore discoveries, particularly those that can be rapidly developed, remain an important component of Egypt’s energy strategy, complementing larger offshore projects in the Mediterranean.
Dana Gas has maintained a long-standing presence in Egypt and considers the country a core market within its portfolio. The company has consistently emphasized disciplined capital spending and value-driven exploration, targeting assets that can generate steady cash flow with limited development risk.
Further appraisal and technical studies are expected to refine reserve estimates and outline development plans for the North El-Basant discovery, as Dana Gas continues to build on its footprint in the Nile Delta and contribute to Egypt’s evolving gas landscape.
