Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi has conducted a high-profile inspection of drilling operations at the West Mina gas field in the Northeast El Amreya area of the Mediterranean Sea, signaling a major acceleration in the country’s offshore gas ambitions for 2026. The inspection was carried out aboard the STENA IceMAX, an advanced drillship operated by Stena Drilling that arrived in Egypt last week to begin executing Shell’s ambitious four-well Mediterranean drilling campaign.
The West Mina field is scheduled to deliver first gas by the end of 2026, with initial output expected to reach 160 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) of gas alongside approximately 1,900 barrels of condensate — a much-needed boost for Egypt’s domestic supply. Shell operates the field with a 60% stake, in partnership with Kuwait’s KUFPEC, which holds the remaining 40%.
The four-well campaign includes the West Mina-2 and West Mina-1 development wells in the Northeast El Amriya area, to be tied into existing production facilities of the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) complex. Beyond development drilling, Shell is also targeting new discoveries: the exploratory Sirius well will evaluate a gas reservoir in shallower waters northeast of El Amriya, while the Velox well in the North Cleopatra area within the Herodotus Basin aims to open fresh gas prospects in the Mediterranean.
Badawi used the occasion to underscore Egypt’s message to international investors: the government’s incentive policies are delivering results and partnerships built on credibility and mutual benefit are yielding concrete results. Shell Egypt Vice President and Country Chair Dalia ElGabry echoed this sentiment, describing the renewed offshore drilling phase as a reflection of growing foreign investor confidence in the sector under the current ministry’s leadership.Source: egyptoil-gas.com