Shell Egypt announced it discovered a new gas-bearing reservoir in the Northeast el-Amriya block in Egypt’s Mediterranean Sea.
The company said in a press release that it has “safely and successfully completed the drilling of the first well in its three-well exploration campaign, Mina West, located in the Northeast el-Amriya block, in the Mediterranean Sea.”
Shell indicated that drilling activities occurred at a water depth of around 250 meters below sea level in the offshore Nile Delta, with primary data confirming the presence of a gas-bearing reservoir.
“Further evaluation of the acquired data is required to determine the size and recoverable potential of the discovery.”
Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Egypt Khaled Kacem said the discovery is an important step forward for Shell Egypt, “bolstering our growth aspirations and ongoing commitment as a critical partner in Egypt’s energy landscape.”
“Successful delivery of our current exploration campaign is part of Shell Egypt’s growth strategy. Shell, together with its partners, will continue to work towards safely and efficiently reaching the development phase of the block,” he added.
In September, Shell signed a Farm-Out Agreement (FOA) with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), under which KUFPEC acquired a 40 percent stake in Northeast el-Amriya block, with Shell holding the remaining 60 percent stake of the partner’s share with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS).
Shell had contracted the Stena Drilling for Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Stena Forth rig, to carry out the drilling campaign.