Italian energy group Eni has started the second production unit of the giant offshore gas field Zohr in Egypt, raising its production capacity to 800 mcf/d (23 mcm/d or 8.2 bcm/y). The production ramp-up is scheduled to continue so that the field's output reaches 1.2 bcf/d (12.4 bcm/y) in May 2018 and a plateau output of 2.7 bcf/d (28 bcm/y) by mid-2019.
The gas field was discovered by Eni in August 2015 and came onstream in December 2017. Its estimated gas reserves exceed 850 bcm. The project is operated by Eni (60%), while Rosneft and BP hold the remaining shares, respectively 30% (stake acquired in October 2017) and 10%.
The production from the Zohr field is a milestone for the Egyptian energy industry. The project is expected to help Egypt achieving self-sufficiency from natural gas by 2019 and the country will save an estimated US$1bn/year in gas imports.