Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, has held high-level meetings with the leadership of Shell and Malaysia’s PETRONAS to press for an acceleration of exploration, drilling, and development programmes at the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) concession — Egypt’s largest offshore natural gas asset in the Mediterranean Sea.
The meetings were attended by Dalia ElGabry, Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Egypt, and Hany Esmat, CEO and Country Chair of PETRONAS Egypt. Both companies commended the ministry’s sustained efforts to resolve outstanding financial arrears owed to foreign partners, affirming that these payments have significantly strengthened the confidence of international oil companies in Egypt’s investment climate and created conditions for accelerated capital deployment.
Badawi used the meetings to press for faster progress on drilling, development and exploration programs, in alignment with the ministry’s strategy to boost domestic gas production and secure Egypt’s national gas supply requirements. He emphasised the government’s commitment to creating a competitive investment environment and fostering partnerships that encourage new capital while ensuring rapid development of recent discoveries.
Mina West and Phase 12A on the Immediate Agenda
Two specific project milestones were reviewed. First, Shell’s active drilling programme targeting the Mina West gas field, which is expected to come online in the last quarter of 2026 to support plans for increasing domestic natural gas production. Second, preparations for Phase 12A of the WDDM field development, which will see drilling of new gas production wells next year alongside exploration opportunities in the concession area. In April 2026, Egyptian offshore construction and services company Petroleum Marine Services (PMS) was awarded the offshore works contract for Phase 12 of the WDDM Field Development Project.
WDDM is managed by Burullus Gas Company, a joint venture between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Shell’s BG Delta, and PETRONAS, alongside Rashid Petroleum Company (Rashpetco).
Source: egyptoil-gas.com