(AFP photo)
Royal Dutch Shell and American Apache will start shale gas production from the Apollonia field in the Western Desert in February 2016. The second well will be linked to the national network of gases by the second half of the same year.
The Khalda Petroleum Co is carrying out the operations on behalf of the two companies. It will start drilling two experimental wells, data and pilot wells, in the Apollonia field. Core samples and logging will be taken to study and evaluate the field, said Tarek El Molla, Chairman of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), in an interview with Daily News Egypt.
In December, the EGPC chairman signed an agreement with Apache and Shell Egypt with an investment value that ranges between $30m and $40m to produce shale gas.
Drilling operations will start at the first well by the end of this month, while the second one will be drilled directly after finishing the first well in June after studying and evaluating the core samples and well logs.
The two companies will start drilling the horizontal wells in November. The first well will be drilled and completed and the same will take place for the second one by the next half of 2016, according to El Molla.
Construction works of surface facilities will start from September until December 2015, while the first well will be linked to the facilities by the beginning of January 2016.
