Egypt Discovers New Natural Gas Field in Western Desert

Egypt announced a new natural gas discovery in the Western Desert, with production already underway from the newly drilled well as the government continues efforts to increase domestic energy supplies and accelerate the development of new hydrocarbon resources.

The discovery was made by Khalda Petroleum Company, the joint venture between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and U.S.-based Apache Corporation, following the drilling of the deep exploratory Watda well to a depth of approximately 15,000 feet.

According to Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, electrical logging confirmed the presence of gas-bearing formations, while production testing conducted immediately after drilling demonstrated an initial output of 40 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, highlighting the commercial potential of the discovery.

Alongside the drilling campaign, Khalda Petroleum completed construction of a 10-kilometer production pipeline at a cost of approximately $2.3 million, enabling the newly discovered well to be rapidly connected to existing infrastructure and brought into production with minimal delay.

The company began injecting gas from the well into the production system on Tuesday, marking the start of commercial operations.

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum said the well is scheduled to be fully connected to the country's national gas grid before the end of July, in line with the government's development timetable.