Tangible effects of Zohr gas field

CAIRO – 4 February 2018: The discovery of the largest gas field in nearly 50 years is expected to make Egypt the region’s major energy hub.

Discovered in 2015 by the Italian energy company Eni, Zohr gas field has an area of 100 square meters and a depth of 1,450 meters. Around $10 billion has been invested in the project and Eni is estimating a total output of approximately 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Egypt Today explains how Zohr gas field can bring about a qualitative change to the daily lives of Egyptian citizens.

Tangible effects

Petroleum Engineer Mohamed Ghaleb, who is also working at Zohr gas field, told Egypt Today on Thursday that Zohr will increase the state’s dependency on natural gas and its prices are lower than the prices of oil, which will consecutively bring the prices of commodities down.

Ghaleb also added that the surplus of the gas will be used to give a major boost to more investments in different sectors and thus will increase job opportunities. “Also, it could bring more people to start using gas in their cars instead of gasoline.”


“It also will encourage people to get rid of the dangerous gas cylinders and start having the safer natural gas supply in their homes,” petroleum expert Ramadan Abo el-Ela told Egypt Today.

He also stated that the surpluses of natural gas that will be produced from Zohr will prevent many gas-dependant factories from closing down.




Alleviating the economic pain

Direct foreign investments will be brought back to Egypt since the total investments of 20 exploration wells in Zohr are worth more than $2 billion, which is included in the government’s optimistic investment plan to promote the energy sector, according to local media reports.

Also, Zohr field has at least 200 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.

“In addition to being Egypt’s long-awaited requirement for gas independence, Zohr field also reduces the state’s expenditures of foreign currency, and breathes new life to other related sectors like energy and chemical industry, which will help meet the market demand of such products,” Undersecretary of the Transport and Communication Parliamentarian Committee, Mohamed Aballah Zain said on Saturday.

He also added that it will drastically boost energy production in Egypt because of its positive strategic effects.

“The huge project will bolster the position of Egypt in the world’s energy map, and brings it back to be a natural gas exporter as the natural gas production will rise to 5.5 billion cubic feet per day, up from 5.1 billion,” he said.

Egypt produces 5.1 billion cubic feet of gas daily after several fields have started production. The country consumes around 6 billion cubic feet of gas a day, 65 percent of which goes to the electricity sector.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi inaugurated the giant Zohr gas field in late January.