Egypt Expects Cypriot Gas to Begin Flowing in 2028

Egypt expects gas supplies from Cypriot fields to begin arriving in 2028, with initial production from the Cronos field planned for that year, followed by gas flows from the offshore Aphrodite field in 2030, according to an Egyptian government official.

The official, who requested anonymity, said agreements between Egypt, Cyprus, and energy companies include plans to liquefy Cypriot gas extracted from the Cronos field at Egypt’s Damietta LNG plant in exchange for processing fees.

Under the agreement, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum will receive its share from operating the liquefaction facility, while Egypt will also receive a portion of gas produced from the Aphrodite field to supply the domestic market. The remaining volumes will be exported through Egypt’s LNG infrastructure.

Egypt and Cyprus signed several commercial agreements last year covering the transfer of gas from the Cypriot Cronos field to Egypt, where it will be connected to the country’s natural gas infrastructure, processed, and liquefied for global exports.

The agreements establish operational and commercial frameworks for gas transportation, supply, processing, and LNG handling, strengthening energy cooperation between Cairo and Nicosia.

NewMed Energy, a partner in Cyprus’ Aphrodite offshore field, confirmed that the project signed a 15-year natural gas sales agreement with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS).

The company said a binding term sheet was signed to sell all recoverable natural gas volumes from the Aphrodite reservoir to EGAS.

Cyprus aims to liquefy extracted gas in Egypt and re-export it to Europe, supporting Egypt’s ambition to become a regional gas trading hub by using its LNG facilities to process and export Eastern Mediterranean gas supplies.

Egypt operates two natural gas liquefaction plants, including the Idku LNG facility, owned by Egyptian LNG, includes two liquefaction units with capacity of around 1.35 billion cubic feet per day, and the Damietta LNG facility, owned by Eni, EGAS, and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, includes one unit with capacity of around 750 million cubic feet per day.