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China-Africa Trade Information Service
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China-Africa Trade Information Service
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British energy company BP has signed a contract to initiate a new offshore drilling program in Egypt’s Mediterranean waters. The plan includes drilling five natural gas wells at depths ranging between 300 and 1,500 meters, using the Valaris DS-12 deepwater rig.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, drilling operations are set to commence in 2026. The program encompasses sidetrack, development, and exploration wells, designed to accelerate gas production by leveraging the existing infrastructure in the West Nile Delta.
Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi highlighted BP’s strategic role in Egypt’s gas sector, stressing that the company’s recent Mediterranean projects have significantly boosted domestic output and secured new supplies during high-demand periods. He reaffirmed Egypt’s full support to ensure rapid implementation of BP’s upcoming projects aimed at increasing production and discovering new reserves to curb import needs.
Nader Zaki, BP’s Regional President for the Middle East and North Africa, described the deal as a major step in strengthening BP’s investments in Egypt, enabling the company to develop additional resources and connect them swiftly to the national grid.
BP Egypt Chairman Wael Shaheen noted that the DS-12 rig will help accelerate production from new finds, ensuring energy security and maintaining strong output from the West Nile Delta fields beyond 2030.
Meanwhile, Sameh Sabry, Managing Director of Harbour Energy for the Middle East and North Africa—BP’s investment partner and operator of the West Nile Delta—expressed confidence in achieving strong results through this collaboration with EGAS and BP.
The announcement follows BP’s successful 2025 exploration campaign, which led to two new discoveries—Fayoum-5 and The King-2—within the West Nile Delta Basin.
