Pre-operation tests for Zohr 1st, 2nd production lines start

CAIRO – 26 March 2018: Mechanical and electrical installation works of Zohr gas field’s first and second production lines are close to completion, and pre-operation tests have been initiated, according to Chairman of Belayim Petroleum Company (Petrobel) Atef Hassan.

This announcement came during the visit of Minister of Petroleum Tarek el-Molla to Zohr gas field, which he made in order to follow the continued work and encourage workers to keep the executive rates up according to the timeline.

Molla emphasized the ministry’s interest in developing its new discoveries speedily, in order to lower the burden of importing gas on the Egyptian budget and to pump new investments to the local markets.

During the tour, the minister was accompanied by: the First Undersecretary of Gas Affairs at Petroleum Ministry; the Under Secretary for Agreements and Exploration; Chairman of EGAS and his Deputy of Production; the Deputy Chairman of the Petroleum Planning Authority; and the chairmen of Enppi, Petrojet and Marine Petroleum Services.

In 2015, the Italian energy company Eni discovered Zohr gas field in the Shorouk concession, approximately 190 kilometers north of Port Said in an area of 100 square meters (39 square miles) and at a depth of 1,450 meters (4,760 feet).

The total gas in place of the Zohr gas field is around 850 billion cubic meters (30 trillion cubic feet).

The quantities of gas extracted from Zohr gas field reached 17 percent since its operation, which means the quantities increased from 350 million cubic feet of gas to 400 million cubic feet of gas per day, according to a statement by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Molla.

Zohr is expected to provide the Egyptian economy with a significant boost estimated at $2.5 billion annually, with around $12 billion invested in the project.

Eni is anticipating that the field will produce 2.7 billion cubic feet per day by 2019.
Five to seven wells were drilled in the first phase of the project with investments of $4-8 billion, to be increased to $16 billion by the end of the project.

The field will help secure the energy needs of the country that consumes around 6 billion cubic feet of gas a day, with 65 percent going to the electricity sector.

Egypt is expected to stop importing liquefied gas by June 2018, after the production of its giant Zohr gas field began at the end of 2017.

In addition to Zohr, Egypt accomplished three other gas production projects which are Torres, Libra, Atoll, and Norse.

These four projects added 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day to raise Egypt’s daily production to 5.5 billion cubic feet a day.

The country's total natural gas consumption is about 6 billion cubic feet per day, of which roughly 65 percent goes to the electricity sector.

The new discoveries are expected to turn Egypt into a net exporter of natural gas as the country is expected to halt gas imports by mid 2018.