Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi stressed the importance of deploying the latest technologies and techniques in drilling and exploration to improve success rates and maximise the utilisation of gas resources, praising Pharaonic Petroleum Company’s exploration and field development plans.
Badawi made the remarks during a visit to Pharaonic Petroleum’s production site in Port Said Governorate, where he reviewed drilling, exploration and field development programmes across the company’s Mediterranean operations, as well as new projects currently under way, particularly the Harmattan gas field.
During the visit, the minister directed the company to accelerate work to connect the offshore Harmattan field to production facilities and examine all available solutions and alternatives to shorten the project’s implementation schedule, bringing the field onstream sooner and tapping its reserves and production potential to support gas supplies to the domestic market.
Badawi also praised the company’s safety system, stressing the importance of continuing to develop it in line with the latest international standards and maintaining the highest safety levels across all worksites. He also commended petroleum sector workers for their role in supporting stable gas supplies to power stations and providing petroleum products to the domestic market.
During the tour, Hossam Zaki, Chairperson of Pharaonic Petroleum Company, briefed the minister on the company’s programmes and plans to increase natural gas and condensate production, as part of the ministry’s strategy to raise production and maximise the use of existing infrastructure.
Zaki said the company achieved 100% of its production target during fiscal year 2025/26 and reviewed progress on field development projects and drilling and exploration programmes across its areas of operation.
He also reviewed the development of the Harmattan field in the Mediterranean, which is targeted to produce around 200 million cubic feet of gas per day, in addition to 4,400 barrels of condensate per day.
Technical options are currently being studied to accelerate the timetable for bringing the field onstream. Harmattan will be connected to the Ha’py processing plant through a 50-kilometre gas pipeline.
Engineering firm Enppi is carrying out the project as general contractor in cooperation with Petrojet and Petroleum Marine Services (PMS).
Zaki also reviewed production and exploration opportunities in the Ras El Bar, North Damietta and offshore El Burg areas, noting that the Tort-6 well is scheduled to come onstream before the end of the year, with targeted production of 40 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
He also highlighted the drilling of the West Atoll exploration well using the Valaris DS-12 drillship, with investments of around $91m and a target depth of 6,000 metres. The exploration plan also includes drilling the Bineo well in the Ras El Bar area.
