The government of Egypt has announced a new natural gas discovery in the Badr-15 area of the Western Desert. Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources revealed the report and said, the well operated by Badr El-Din Petroleum Company (BAPETCO), a joint venture between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Shell has been brought online with an initial output of around 16 million cubic feet of gas per day, in addition to 750 barrels of condensate per day.
The new find results from ongoing investment incentives aimed at ramping up local production and reducing reliance on imports. Technical teams are currently reassessing the reservoir to identify additional drilling opportunities that could maximize the field’s long-term potential. The discovery is expected to contribute roughly 15 billion cubic feet to Egypt’s proven natural gas reserves.
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Potential
Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi recently said the government plans to raise national gas production to between 6.4 and 6.6 billion cubic feet per day over the next five years, driven by fresh investments from international partners. He added that 2026 will see the drilling of 14 exploratory wells in the Mediterranean Sea, targeting an estimated 12 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Badawi also acknowledged that domestic output had declined since 2021 due to reduced investment, but improvements in the investment climate have helped stabilize production and return the sector to a growth trajectory.
The Western Desert continues to stand out as one of Egypt’s most promising hydrocarbon regions. Recent successes including production from the North Deep Lotus-1 well operated by Agiba Petroleum Company in partnership with Eni underscore the area’s substantial remaining potential.
