Alexandria:Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi has expressed Egypt's eagerness to expedite the connection of Cypriot gas to its infrastructure. This move aims to enhance collaboration with the French energy company Total Energies in exploration, development, and production activities within the Mediterranean region.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Badawi conveyed these intentions during a meeting with Julian Bouguet, Senior Vice President for Exploration and Production in North Africa and the Middle East at Total Energies. The discussion took place on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Petroleum Conference and Exhibition held in Alexandria.

Present at the meeting was Leila El Hares, Total Energies' Executive Director for Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus. The discussions covered natural gas projects, the progress of linking Cyprus' Cronos gas field to Egypt in partnership with the petroleum sector, Eni, and Total Energies, and potential investment opportunities in gas exploration and production in Egypt's Mediterranean waters.

Badawi emphasized the significance of partnerships between governments and international energy companies, highlighting the project as a testament to high-level political support from Egyptian and Cypriot leaderships. He noted that this support had been crucial in advancing the project's implementation and strengthening coordination among various stakeholders.

The project aims to enable Cyprus to export its natural gas using Egypt's facilities for reception, processing, and re-export, thereby reinforcing Egypt's status as a regional gas trading hub and generating mutual economic benefits. Badawi also expressed interest in expanding Total Energies' investments in Egypt's natural gas sector, with the ministry ready to support projects and explore solutions to optimize costs, improve economic viability, and expedite investment decisions.

Julian Bouguet of Total Energies praised the cooperation with Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, noting the company's ongoing efforts to assess promising exploration prospects in the region. He mentioned that access to more technical data would enhance the evaluation of exploration opportunities and expressed the company's commitment to continue this assessment in the future.