Egypt’s Petroleum Min. Praises Modern Drilling Systems during Visit to Khalda Fields

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, has commended the adoption of advanced operational systems at key production sites in the Western Desert, highlighting their role in boosting efficiency and accelerating output.

During a field tour, the minister inspected operations at the Salam field, operated by Khalda Petroleum Company, one of the country’s top crude producers. The visit was attended by senior officials from the ministry, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.

Badawi described Khalda as a “successful model” in implementing modern contractual frameworks in partnership with global technology and service providers. These performance-based agreements, he said, are helping accelerate drilling timelines, reduce costs, and enhance operational efficiency, while facilitating the transfer of advanced technologies.

“The ministry fully supports all plans aimed at expediting the integration of new wells into production and maximizing the use of available resources,” Badawi noted, emphasizing the strategic importance of increasing domestic production to meet national demand.

As part of the visit, the minister inaugurated upgraded cable repair workshops for electric submersible pumps (ESP) and surface equipment, facilities developed by Khalda to improve maintenance efficiency, reduce costs, and support sustained well operations. He praised the technical standards of the facilities, noting that they rival those of leading international companies.

Badawi also called for enhanced knowledge-sharing among operators in the Western Desert, including the organization of technical workshops in coordination with EGPC to promote best practices across the sector.