KEY POINTS
- Egypt developing three new wells at Zohr gas field to boost production.
- Zohr-6 well already added 65 million cubic feet per day to output.
- Field, discovered in 2015, holds 30 trillion cubic feet of gas but output has slumped.
Egypt is ramping up drilling at its flagship Zohr gas field in the Mediterranean, signaling a renewed push to restore production at one of the world’s largest offshore discoveries after years of decline.
The petroleum ministry said three new wells are being developed in the current financial year, adding to recent efforts that have already brought fresh volumes online. The Zohr-6 well, it noted, is contributing an additional 65 million cubic feet of gas per day to national output.
Eni Resumes Drilling After Setbacks
Zohr, operated by Italian energy major Eni SpA through its Petrobel venture with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp, has faced production setbacks in recent years. Output, which once peaked at over 3 billion cubic feet per day in 2019, slumped to about 1.9 billion cubic feet per day in early 2024 as arrears to foreign oil companies weighed on operations.
Eni restarted drilling in February 2025 to revive volumes, underscoring Cairo’s urgency to shore up energy supplies. The giant field, discovered in 2015 and brought onstream in 2017, holds an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas.
Zohr remains a linchpin of Egypt’s ambition to sustain self-sufficiency in natural gas and expand exports to Europe, which has leaned more heavily on Mediterranean suppliers since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Any recovery in Zohr’s output could help stabilize Egypt’s domestic supply while boosting hard currency earnings from liquefied natural gas shipments.
With three new wells under development and drilling activity accelerating, officials are betting the field can reclaim some of its lost momentum. For Egypt’s energy sector, success at Zohr is about more than just numbers — it’s a test of credibility at a time when reliable gas supplies are pivotal both for the economy and the country’s geopolitical standing.
