A drilling ship will arrive in Egypt this month as operator Eni starts work on increasing production from the giant Zohr offshore gas field, Egypt’s petroleum ministry said in a statement late on Thursday.

Egypt had planned to become a major gas exporter after Eni discovered the field in 2015, but domestic gas production in Egypt has been falling since 2021 reaching a six-year low in 2024.

Eni was not immediately available for comment.

Average production at Zohr was 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in the first half of 2024, well below the peak reached in 2019.
Source: Reuters