Cairo: Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi inspected the drilling of the first development and production well at the West Mena gas field in the North East Amriya area of the Mediterranean Sea. The well is expected to begin initial production by the end of the year, adding about 160 million cubic feet of gas per day and 1,900 barrels of condensates, as part of investments by Shell in Egypt and the ministry's intensive program to boost exploration, development and production activities.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the inspection tour took place aboard the drilling vessel following its arrival in Egypt to implement Shell's program to drill four new gas wells in the Mediterranean. During the tour, Badawi said that new investments by Shell in gas exploration and development activities in the Mediterranean, marked by the launch of work at the West Mena field, clearly reflect the positive outcomes of the ministry's incentive-based policies with investment partners, built on commitment, credibility and mutual benefit.
He added that such investments are a positive indicator for achieving the ministry's goals of increasing production, reducing import bills and securing gas supplies for the local market. The minister noted that 2026 will witness the implementation of the largest offshore gas drilling program in the Mediterranean in cooperation with international companies, adding that the current year is also seeing record drilling operations across production areas to explore new gas reservoirs that would support Egypt's production capacities in the medium term and help meet domestic demand.
For her part, Dalia El-Gabry, Chairperson of Shell Egypt, said a new phase of offshore drilling plans in the Mediterranean will begin this year to accelerate the development of the West Mena field, alongside continued exploratory drilling to unlock new gas resources. She added that the strong return of foreign investments to Egypt's petroleum sector reflects growing confidence among international investors, led by Shell, in the ministry's modern strategy, which has helped improve the investment climate and rebuild trust, confirming Egypt's ability to attract long-term investments.
Shell's four-well drilling program includes the West Mena-1 and West Mena-2 wells in the North East Amriya area, where Shell operates with a 60 percent stake in partnership with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company holding 40 percent, with plans to tie the wells into existing production facilities in the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) area. The program also includes drilling the exploratory Sirius well to assess a gas reservoir in shallower waters in North East Amriya, followed by the Velox well in the North Cleopatra area in the Herodotus Basin to open new prospects for gas discoveries in the Mediterranean.