Energy New gas discovery in Egypt’s Eastern Mediterranean sea By Reuters January 16, 2023 Unsplash.com The joint bid placed by NewMed, BP and Socar was for blocks in proximity to the Leviathan and Tamar fields Italian energy group Eni and US energy major Chevron said they have made a new gas discovery in an Egyptian offshore field in the Eastern Mediterranean sea. The Nargis-1 well is part of Egypt’s 1,800sq km Nargis Offshore Area concession operated by Chevron, which holds a 45 percent interest in it. Eni also holds a 45 percent stake, while Egypt’s Tharwa Petroleum Company SAE holds a 10 percent interest. Egypt’s state-owned EGAS said the quantity of reserves in the well were being evaluated, and it would work with Chevron and the other partners to start production as soon as possible. Chevron was “encouraged and excited by the success of this first exploration well which encountered high-quality reservoirs”, Clay Neff, president of Chevron International Exploration and Production, said in a statement. State-controlled Eni is looking for new gas sources as it aims to completely replace gas imports from Russia by 2025 following the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new discovery is located in the Nargis-1 exploration well and “can be developed leveraging the proximity to Eni’s existing facilities”, the group said in a statement. Egypt’s position as a gas producer was boosted by Eni’s discovery of the giant Zohr field in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2015, though it has also started importing gas from Israel amid rising domestic demand.
