bp awarded new exploration blocks in Egypt’s Offshore Nile Delta

bp has been awarded two exploration blocks in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore Egypt by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.

The Northwest Abu Qir Offshore Area in which bp, the operator, holds 82.75% and Wintershall-Dea holds 17.25% is located west of the recently awarded North King Mariout block (bp 100%) and north of the Raven field. It covers an area of approximately 1038 square kilometres with water depths ranging between 600 metres and 1600 metres.

The Bellatrix-Seti East block in which bp and Eni, the operator, each hold a 50% share is located west of the Atoll field and North Tabya blocks. It covers an area of approximately 3440 square kilometres with water depths ranging between 100 metres and 1200 metres.

60 years of successful partnership

Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, bp’s executive vice president for gas & low carbon energy said: “Egypt has long been important for bp with almost 60 years of successful partnership and more than $35 billion invested. We now look forward to an even more successful future, continuing to help meet Egypt’s growing energy needs by providing cost-competitive supplies of gas and supporting Egypt through the energy transition by exploring growth opportunities in hydrogen for example.”

Karim Alaa, bp’s regional president, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya, added: “We have been awarded four new exploration blocks and a block extension in 2022 which offer the potential for gas discoveries that could be developed using existing infrastructure. Acquiring this acreage is part of our strategy to maintain a longer-term plateau production rate.”

In addition to the two new blocks, in 2022 bp was also awarded: King Mariout Offshore Area (100% bp), North El Fayrouz offshore area (50% bp and 50% Eni, the operator) and the North El Tabya area extension (100% bp).

Five gas fields

bp operates the major West Nile Delta (WND) gas development which currently produces around 900 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and 27 thousand barrels per day (mbd) of condensate. The development includes five gas fields across the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater offshore concession blocks in the Mediterranean Sea.

bp has a strong presence in the East Nile Delta through its Pharaonic Petroleum Company (PhPC) joint venture and other partners’ operated assets. PhPC is a major gas producer with current average production of around 450 mmcfd of gas as well as around 10 thousand barrel per day of condensate. Together with our partners, bp currently produces around 70% of Egypt’s gas.

In early 2017, bp acquired a 10% stake in the Shorouk Concession from Eni, which contains the Zohr gas field.

bp is a 33% shareholder of the UGDC, a natural gas liquids (NGL) plant extracting LPG and propane, in partnership with Eni/IEOC and GASCO (the Egyptian midstream gas distribution company).

bp is also present in Egypt’s Customers and Products sector through a 40% interest in the NGVC. Established in September 1995, NGVC was the first company in Africa and the Middle East to commercialize natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicles.