Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources continues to advance its strategy of boosting national production and encouraging foreign partners to expand exploration activities. In line with this approach, Khalda Petroleum Company has announced a new natural gas discovery in the Western Desert, marking another significant milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to enhance energy output.
The company successfully drilled the exploratory well Jumana-1, where electrical logging indicated the presence of gas-bearing formations. Preliminary testing showed a production rate of approximately 36 million cubic feet of gas per day. According to the ministry, well testing and early reservoir evaluations are currently underway, with plans to bring the well onto the production grid the day after tomorrow. The discovery strengthens the exploration portfolio of Apache Corporation, Khalda’s long-standing international partner in the region.
It also reflects the positive impact of newly introduced incentives designed by the petroleum ministry to stimulate investment in gas exploration and development across Khalda’s concession areas.
The discovery follows another notable achievement in September 2025, when Khalda Petroleum commenced production from the South NUT-1 well in the Western Desert at a rate of 50 million cubic feet of gas per day. The successful startup was considered a tangible outcome of the ministry’s incentive package aimed at encouraging international partners to expand drilling and development operations.
Khalda’s recent progress has also been supported by the application of advanced technology across its fields. Over the past months, the company deployed a real-time downhole pressure and temperature logging system, enabling the acquisition of continuous subsurface data. This innovation has contributed to more precise reservoir management and improved field production, reflecting the ministry’s broader commitment to integrating modern, non-traditional technologies to maximize output.
Operational efficiency has also seen major improvement. In July 2025, Khalda’s drilling teams, working alongside Apache’s specialists in Egypt, succeeded in significantly reducing the time required to connect drilling pipes in wells from 24 minutes to an average of 18 minutes. In some wells, the teams achieved record times as low as 12.5 minutes. This improvement shortened the overall annual drilling duration by nearly 60 days, generating cost savings of around 3 million dollars. Such achievements underscore the success of ongoing efforts to optimize drilling performance and reduce operational expenses in Khalda’s oil and gas fields.
The new gas discovery, combined with recent efficiency gains and earlier production startups, highlights the growing momentum in Egypt’s Western Desert. As Khalda Petroleum and its partners continue to expand exploration and apply cutting-edge technologies, the sector is poised to deliver further contributions to Egypt’s energy security and production targets.
