Port Said: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli on Saturday visited the Zohr natural gas field, located north of Port Said, to assess the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources aimed at increasing oil and gas production across various sites. This initiative is part of a collaborative strategy with international partners to satisfy the energy demands of the public and different state sectors.

According to State Information Service Egypt, during his visit, Madbouli toured the “Saipem 10000” drilling vessel, which arrived in Egyptian waters in January to continue drilling and exploration operations at the Zohr field. He was joined by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawy. The delegation was welcomed by Francesco Caspari, General Manager of Eni Egypt (IEOC), and Martina Opizzi, Head of Eni North Africa and Levant Region.

The Minister of Petroleum highlighted that the Prime Minister’s visit underscores the value placed on the strategic partnership between the Egyptian government and Eni. During the inspection of the “Saipem 10000” rig, Minister Badawy explained that the vessel’s return would aid in the resumption of drilling activities for new wells at Zohr field, utilizing advanced technologies in the deep-water concession area.

Badawy further elaborated that the return of the drilling rig to the Zohr field marks a significant achievement for the petroleum sector, which has been working over the past six months to boost production by concentrating on research, exploration, development, production, and expedited activities.