In coordination with the Egyptian Petroleum Sector, the block partners will now commence screening the development options of the new discovery
(Credit: C Morrison/ Pixabay.)
Italian oil and gas company Eni has announced the discovery of new gas in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Egypt.
The gas was encountered after the drilling of the first exploration well in the North El Hammad license, in the conventional Egyptian waters of the Nile Delta, on the prospect called Bashrush.
Eni stated: “The discovery further extends to the west the gas potential of the Abu Madi formation reservoirs discovered and produced from the so-called “Great Nooros Area”.”
Locate 11km from the coast, the gas discovery was made in 22 meters of water depth. It is also 12km North-West from the Nooros field and about 1km west of the Baltim South West field, which are currently in production.
Eni said that it discovered a single 152 meters thick gas column at the Messinian age sandstones of the Abu Madi formation.
Eni and partners with now test the discovery well for production
The block partners that include Eni, BP and Total will now test the well for production.
Eni said: “In parallel with the development activities associated with this new discovery, Eni will continue to explore the “Great Nooros Area” with the drilling, this year, of another exploration well called Nidoco NW-1 DIR, located in the Abu Madi West concession.
“The discovery of Bashrush is further demonstration of the effectiveness of Eni’s “incremental” exploration strategy, aimed at selecting high value opportunities and ensuring fast development of the new discoveries through existing infrastructures.”
In coordination with the Egyptian Petroleum Sector, the block partners are set to commence screening the development options of the new discovery.
The development of the discovery is expected to be fast tracked for production through synergies with the area’s existing infrastructures.
Eni, through its affiliate IEOC, is operator of the North El Hammad concession with a 37.5% stake while BP holds a 37.5% stake and Total the remaining 25% interest.
In February, Eni and its partners made new oil discovery on the Saasken exploration prospect in Block 10, located in Cuenca Salina in the Sureste basin offshore Mexico.