Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawy witnessed the signing of a new drilling contract marking the launch of BP’s upcoming offshore gas exploration programme in Egypt. The agreement covers the drilling of five natural gas wells in BP’s Mediterranean concessions, at depths ranging between 300 and 1,500 metres. Operations will be carried out using the deepwater drilling rig DS-12, owned by Valaris.
The contract follows a memorandum of understanding signed last month in London between the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and BP, under the auspices of the Minister of Petroleum, to implement the company’s new drilling plan in Egypt.
Drilling operations are scheduled to commence in 2026 and will include sidetrack, development, and exploration wells. The programme aims to accelerate the development and production of Egypt’s offshore gas reserves while maximising the use of existing infrastructure in the West Nile Delta.
Minister Badawy described BP as one of Egypt’s most significant strategic partners in natural gas production, noting that the company’s recent Mediterranean projects have been instrumental in boosting domestic gas output and securing additional resources during peak consumption periods.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s full support for BP’s new projects, emphasising the importance of fast-tracking execution to add new gas volumes to Egypt’s domestic production and explore untapped reservoirs that could strengthen output and help reduce import dependence.
Nader Zaki, BP’s Regional President for the Middle East and North Africa, expressed pride in the company’s long-standing partnership with Egypt, calling the new agreement a “strategic milestone” in BP’s investments for the current decade. He said the deal would enable BP to develop additional gas resources in the Nile Delta and bring them onstream swiftly to meet growing domestic demand.
Wael Shahin, President of BP Egypt, said the agreement represents a continuation of BP’s successful operations in the Nile Delta and reaffirms its commitment to expanding exploration and development in Egypt. He added that the use of the DS-12 rig will allow BP to optimise results from recent discoveries and sustain gas production from the West Nile Delta beyond 2030, contributing to Egypt’s long-term energy security.
Sameh Sabry, Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Harbour Energy—BP’s investment partner and main operator in the West Nile Delta—expressed optimism about the upcoming drilling campaign. He highlighted the strong collaboration between EGAS, BP, and Harbour Energy as a model of successful partnership in strengthening Egypt’s natural gas production base.
The new drilling phase follows BP’s successful exploration campaign in the first half of 2025, which led to two discoveries—Fayoum-5 and King-2—in the West Nile Delta basin. The initiative marks the continuation of BP’s six-decade partnership with Egypt’s petroleum sector, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to the exploration and production of the country’s oil and gas resources.
