The Saipem 10000 drillship arrived in Egyptian waters on Tuesday to begin drilling new wells at the Zohr natural gas field, located north of Port Said. This activity aims to rapidly increase production at the field, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
The drilling campaign, costing $160m, is part of a broader effort to reverse a decline in Zohr’s production that began in 2021 and reached a record low of 1.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in early 2024.
This downturn significantly impacted gas supply. Egypt’s new Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi, formerly the director of SLB New Energy–Middle East and North Africa, stated the government’s goal is to restore domestic production to previous levels by June.
This initiative represents a continuation of development plans agreed upon by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Italian energy company Eni, the field’s operator.
The plans call for two new sidetracks at the Zohr field, the largest gas field discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean, situated in waters up to 1,700 metres deep. Drilling of these wells is scheduled to be completed within the first three months of 2025.
The Ministry stated that this initiative aligns with its strategy to intensify production activities and meet the needs of Egyptian citizens and various state sectors for petroleum and natural gas products. The arrival of the Saipem 10000 marks a significant step in this effort to enhance gas production at Zohr.
