RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
EGYPT’S NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION AND DRILLING ACTIVITIES:
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR FYs 2016/17 & 2017/18
BY AMINA HUSSIEN, REHAM GAMAL & TASNEEM MADI
E
gypt is a mature hydrocarbon producer, which has been performing Exploration and Production (E&P) activities for more than a century. I currently a significant natural gas producer in the African continent that is on its way to becoming a regional hub for natural gas.
The exploration activities in the 1960’s resulted in the discovery of land Abu Madi work-over field, rigs. These are mainly located in the Eastern Desert, the W Desert, the first natural gas discovery in the country’s history, in the Nile Delta. Theand fieldSinai. was discovered by Petrobel in 1967, in which four wells were drilled and put on stream later on in 1977. In 1969, the exploration and drilling activities in the Mediterranean In Fiscal Year (FY) 2016/17, 148 rigs contributed in the drilling, repairing an Sea resulted in discovering Abu Qir field the first natural gas discovery operations, in the area, of which 15 were offshore, 67 were onshore, and 66 were stan according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ (MoP) While website. in FY 2017/18, the number of rigs counted for 147, divided into 14 o rigs and 88 onshore rigs, in addition to 45 standby rigs, according to the E These discoveries encouraged the spread of exploration and drillingNatural activities Gasboth Holding Company (EGAS) Annual Reports FYs 2016/17 & 2017 onshore and offshore, reaching the offshore Mediterranean deep water that was initially explored in 1975. 14% The MoP has continuous efforts to support exploration activities, including 5% conducting expanded seismic surveys, offering international bid rounds and Fixed Platform encouraging the international oil companies (IOCs) to invest in upstream activities.
DRILLING RIGS
7%
Semi-Submersible
Egypt has two main types of rigs: offshore and onshore rigs. The offshore rigs in Egypt are classified into two main types: (i) moveable offshore drilling rigs, as 74% jack-up, semi-submersible, and drillship rigs, and (ii) fixed rigs/platforms. Such Jack-Up rigs are often located in the Gulf of Suez, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Nile Delta regions. Additionally, Egypt also has two types of onshore rigs: land-drilling and 20 | EGYPT OIL & GAS NEWSPAPER
Drillship
14 Offshore Rigs in FY 2017/18