Cairo: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli commenced an inspection visit to Egypt’s Zohr gas field in the eastern Mediterranean shortly after the drillship Saipem 10000 arrived to initiate operations at the site. The visit marks a significant step in the ongoing development of the gas field, with expectations for production levels to normalize before mid-2025, potentially decreasing Egypt’s importation expenses.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced that the Saipem 10000 drillship will embark on a drilling campaign employing modern technologies. This initiative is part of a strategic plan to advance the development of the gas field under an agreement between the ministry and the Italian company Eni. The plan includes the drilling of new wells within the first quarter of 2025.

Eni discovered the Zohr gas field in 2015. During the first half of 2024, average production at Zohr was recorded at 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d), a figure that remains below the peak production levels achieved in 2019. The Saipem 10000 is a specialized vessel owned by the Italian energy services company Saipem, designed specifically for such offshore drilling operations.