Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt has connected several new natural gas wells in the Mediterranean Sea and the Western Desert as part of a broader push to boost domestic energy production and reduce dependence on imported fuel, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced Thursday.
The new wells are located in two strategic production zones: the offshore West Burullus gas field in the Mediterranean and the Badr El-Din concession area in Egypt’s Western Desert.
At the West Burullus field, operated by PetroWeb a subsidiary of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, a second well has been brought into production through existing infrastructure run by the Burullus Gas Company. Development of the project has also involved investment from the British energy company Cairn Energy.
Officials said the addition of the new well has increased production at the offshore field from roughly 25 million cubic feet per day to about 37 million cubic feet per day. Output is expected to climb further once a third well is connected in the coming days, potentially pushing production beyond 70 million cubic feet per day.
Energy officials added that a fourth well has already been drilled in the area and early indications suggest promising reserves, although the well is still undergoing evaluation and testing before any final production decisions are made.
Meanwhile in Egypt’s Western Desert, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation confirmed that Badr El-Din Petroleum Company has successfully drilled a new production well known as BED 15-35 within the Badr El-Din concession.
Preliminary testing shows the well could yield between 10 and 15 million cubic feet of gas per day, in addition to producing an estimated 300 to 650 barrels of condensate daily.
The ministry said the discovery is expected to significantly expand proven reserves in the Badr El-Din concession area. Current estimates suggest reserves could rise from around 15 billion cubic feet of gas to nearly 25 billion cubic feet as further evaluation continues.
Four additional wells are also planned in the concession area as part of an ongoing development program aimed at maximizing production from the region.
The new drilling activity forms part of Egypt’s wider energy strategy to strengthen domestic supply at a time when national demand continues to exceed local production.
According to government data, Egypt currently produces around 4.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, while domestic consumption is estimated at approximately 6.2 billion cubic feet daily.
The supply gap has forced the country to increase imports, including significant volumes of gas from Israel. Official figures show Egypt imported about 344 billion cubic feet of Israeli gas during the fiscal year ending in June 2025, an increase of roughly eight percent compared with the previous year.
Egyptian authorities say continued exploration and development projects are intended to narrow this gap and support long-term energy security while easing pressure on the country’s fuel import bill.
The Mediterranean basin remains a key focus of Egypt’s gas exploration strategy, as officials seek to build on earlier discoveries that helped transform the country into a regional gas hub and a major supplier to both domestic and international markets.
