(AFP photo)
By Mohamed Adel
Egypt witnessed a decrease in gas production rates in the past two weeks, from 4.75bn to 4.65bn cubic feet per day, according to an official from EGAS, a gas holding company. The official attributed the decrease to the decline of natural wells.
He continued by saying that Egypt’s natural gas production could witness a severe slowdown given the reduction in development and research by foreign partners. The cutback is causing a stall in the connection of new wells to production centres, in order to offset the decline.
The gas company cut 300m cubic feet of gas per day from cement factory consumption, from its estimated daily rate of 430m cubic feet. EGAS cut a further 70m cubic square feet from the fertiliser factory sector, which is estimated to consume 510m cubic feet of gas per day, bringing the total cut to nearly 940m cubic feet per day. The official interviewed accredited the cuts to the decline in gas production.
Gas has ceased to be supplied to several cement plants including Misr Beni Suef, Beni Suef, Lafarge, and Suez. The gas is currently being substituted with fuel oil.
In a further effort to trim gas consumption, in mid-April EGAS halted its supply to a gas line in an Egyptian fertiliser factory production that was consuming approximately 45m square feet daily. The line will not be reconnected unless there is an increase in production rates soon, said the EGAS official.
