Egypt has announced a natural gas discovery in the Mediterranean Sea, with initial estimates pointing to approximately 200 bcf (5.7 bcm) of gas in place, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The Ministry reported that drilling and assessment activities at the Nasseem-1X exploratory well, located in the Tiba concession, identified a gas-bearing formation with encouraging geological and physical properties. Further technical assessments are underway to establish the recoverable reserves and potential daily production capacity. No timeline for the start of production has yet been disclosed.
The Tiba concession is operated by Italian energy company Eni, alongside Australia's Woodside, while Egypt's Petrobel is responsible for drilling activities on behalf of the partners. “To accelerate the development of the discovery and bring it onstream, plans are underway to connect the well to existing production facilities through the construction of an approximately 22-km gas pipeline connecting it to Abu Madi–El Gamil pipeline”, the Ministry added.
Egypt is seeking to boost domestic natural gas output through the development of existing discoveries and the acceleration of exploration activities, with the aim of meeting local demand and reducing dependence on imports.
Egypt has significant hydrocarbon resources, with 462 Mt of oil reserves and 2,209 bcm of natural gas reserves in 2025, according to our data. However, the country is striving to increase its gas output. After peaking at 71 bcm in 2021, gas production declined by an average of 15%/year, reaching 38 bcm in 2025, as output from the country’s largest gas field fell. As a result, Egypt has been a net gas importer since 2024 (Enerdata Global Energy Research).