Egypt : The Zohr field prepares to start producing gas.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Thursday that production from the giant Zohr gas field will resume in the coming weeks, following the resumption of drilling. The operator ENI is also planning to extend its drilling activities over the next two years.

Production at Zohr had slowed due to accumulated arrears with foreign oil companies. In order to revitalise gas extraction, a drilling vessel arrived in Egypt in January, enabling ENI to begin work on increasing production from the offshore field, as indicated by the Egyptian Oil Ministry last month.

Zohr's current average production is 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) for the first half of 2024, well below the peak reached in 2019. With renewed drilling and expansion planned by ENI, Egypt hopes to restore and possibly exceed these production levels in the near future.

The Zohr field, discovered in 2015 and considered one of the largest offshore gas deposits in the Mediterranean, plays a key role in Egypt's energy strategy. Its revival should enhance the country's energy security and support its ambition to become a regional gas hub.