Eni to Invest $7.7 Bn in Egypt’s Energy Sector

An offshore gas platform of the Italian company Eni. (Getty Images)
An offshore gas platform of the Italian company Eni. (Getty Images)
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Eni to Invest $7.7 Bn in Egypt’s Energy Sector

An offshore gas platform of the Italian company Eni. (Getty Images)
An offshore gas platform of the Italian company Eni. (Getty Images)

Eni Energy Company President Claudio Descalzi said the Italian company and its partners intend to inject new investments into Egypt over the coming four years at a value of $7.7 billion.

The investment reflects the Italian energy company’s commitment to boosting its successful projects in Egypt.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received Descalzi during a meeting attended by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla and senior Eni officials.

Descalzi underscored Egypt’s great importance as one of the significant markets for Eni’s activities and business worldwide, given the promising opportunities in its energy sector, noting the state and president’s interest in upgrading this vital sector and maximizing its revenues.

Descalzi reviewed the company’s upcoming search and exploration plans and development operations activities. He also highlighted the progress achieved in energy efficiency and sustainability projects related to the energy transition, in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March 2023.

Presidency Spokesman Ahmad Fahmy said Sisi underscored the outstanding Egyptian-Italian relations and the longstanding partnership with Eni.

He praised the numerous activities the company has implemented in Egypt at the highest global standards.

He said he looks forward to further advancing the fruitful cooperation between Egypt and Eni in search, exploration, development, and production to leverage the national resources in the energy sector and enhance the vast successes.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting to discuss procedures of the new incentive package for industrial investment ordered by Sisi.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir, Chairman of the General Authority for Industrial Development Mohamed Abdel Karim, and Executive Director of Industrial Modernization Center Doaa Salima.

The Minister of Trade explained that the new incentives to push industrial investment aim to achieve one or more goals that include deepening local manufacturing.

They are also devised to attract investments in production input industries, cover local needs for strategic goods, especially pharmaceuticals, shrink the trade balance deficit, reduce the demand for the dollar for import operations, expand exports, and increase employment rates.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
TT

Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.