Egypt: EGAS Launches Bid for Gas Explorations in Mediterranean

An aerial view shows the newly arrived foundation platform of Leviathan natural gas field, in the Mediterranean Sea (File photo: Reuters)
An aerial view shows the newly arrived foundation platform of Leviathan natural gas field, in the Mediterranean Sea (File photo: Reuters)
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Egypt: EGAS Launches Bid for Gas Explorations in Mediterranean

An aerial view shows the newly arrived foundation platform of Leviathan natural gas field, in the Mediterranean Sea (File photo: Reuters)
An aerial view shows the newly arrived foundation platform of Leviathan natural gas field, in the Mediterranean Sea (File photo: Reuters)

Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) plans to launch a global bid for gas explorations in the western Mediterranean region during H1 of 2020, an official source said.

Local media quoted on Monday the source, which asked not to be named, as saying that EGAS is currently working on determining the areas to be offered during the bid and obtaining approvals.

Last year, the Ministry of Petroleum completed the second phase of the seismic survey project for the western Mediterranean region in preparation for launching a global bid for oil and natural gas exploration.

It also launched in 2018 the implementation of the seismic survey project in the Gulf of Suez with Schlumberger.

According to the company's report for the last fiscal year, EGAS seeks to drill 15 exploration wells in the Nile Delta and the Mediterranean during the current fiscal year at an estimated cost of $422 million.

EGAS also established 12 development projects with an initial production of 2.046 billion cubic feet of gas per day, with an average added production of about 1.464 billion cubic feet per day, at an investment cost of $7.108 billion.

Egypt's natural gas production in FY2017-18 rose to 2.51 trillion cubic feet.

Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek el-Molla received Monday Norwegian Ambassador Lena Natasha Lind and reviewed the procedures and programs that led to increasing investments in the petroleum and natural gas sectors.

The two sides discussed boosting cooperation in the petroleum and gas domains.

Molla pointed to the promising exploration areas in the Western Mediterranean and Red Sea, which represent good opportunities for international companies, as well as the maritime areas of the member countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum.

The Norwegian diplomat expressed the Norwegian companies’ desire to increase their investments in the petroleum domain, citing investments by Equinor energy company and other Norwegian specialized service companies.

Lind praised the contribution of the Norwegian company BGS in the two-dimensional seismic research and data processing project carried out for the EGAS.

She invited Molla to attend the World Petroleum Conference and Exhibition to be held in Norway in August 2020.



Berlin Eyes Partnership with Riyadh in Expo 2030, Climate Cooperation, Hydrogen Initiatives

Saudi and German flags fluttering - File Photo/Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi and German flags fluttering - File Photo/Asharq Al-Awsat
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Berlin Eyes Partnership with Riyadh in Expo 2030, Climate Cooperation, Hydrogen Initiatives

Saudi and German flags fluttering - File Photo/Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi and German flags fluttering - File Photo/Asharq Al-Awsat

A senior German official affirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Saudi Arabia across various fields, noting that bilateral trade relations continue to grow steadily, with trade volume reaching around 7 billion Euros.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, German Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Kindsgrab said: “The sectors driving this growth—chemicals, machinery, and transport—reflect the strong industrial connections we share. These are areas where German expertise is making a real difference in Saudi Arabia’s development.”

He added: “Looking ahead, there is much to be excited about. Expo 2030 is an incredible opportunity for us to further deepen our collaboration, showcase the best of what both Saudi Arabia and Germany have to offer, and inspire future generations to continue building on this remarkable partnership.”

German Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Kindsgrab - Asharq Al-Awsat

Renewable Energy

On climate cooperation, the official said: “As for climate cooperation, we have just launched a relevant study on the Saudi labor market in the renewable energy sector, which was reviewed by the National Labor Observatory and discussed with experts of KAPSARC, KaCare and PSU. This is a great example of our close and meaningful partnership, tackling the challenges of today with an eye on the future.”

Blossoming Relations

Kindsgrab noted that Saudi-German relations are truly blossoming, saying: "I am proud to see our partnership becoming deeper and stronger across so many areas. From a personal perspective, it is inspiring to witness the growing bonds between our two countries. These ties span a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, architecture, health, education and culture—creating a solid foundation for the future.”

“One of the most exciting aspects of our cooperation is in the area of energy transition. German innovation is at the heart of NEOM’s green hydrogen projects, with Thyssenkrupp Nucera playing a key technological role in making the vision of decarbonization of industry a reality,” he affirmed.

“Beyond energy, we’re also seeing significant progress in transport, where Siemens’ delivery of metro wagons helped to shape the modern infrastructure of Saudi cities. And let’s not forget the impact of German architecture in megaprojects such as King Salman Park or the design of Expo 2030, which I believe will be a landmark event for both our countries, ” added Kindsgrab.

“In the health sector, the collaboration with Charité in Berlin is another example of how our nations are working together to improve lives.”

Accelerated Cultural Cooperation

“And now, I am particularly excited to see the acceleration of cultural cooperation, such as the recently launched museum initiative between the Saudi Museums Commission and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation of Germany,” the German ambassador stressed.

“This cooperation emerged as part of our shared efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties and will play an enriching role for the cultural relations, as it includes a loan program for artworks, joint curatorship and training programs to support talent development,” he concluded.