Following the signing of heads of agreement with the Egyptian government, BP is increasing the pace on the Atoll discovery offshore Egypt.

Work on the Atoll field in the North Damietta concession is expected to achieve its first gas in 2018.  BP possesses a 100% operating interest in the North Damietta concession in the eastern Nile Delta.The whole block holds over 142 bcm (5 tcf) of gas, The Oil and Gas Year reports.

BP’s plan on the Atoll discovery includes two-phase development. The first phase involves two wells tied into the current infrastructure. Each of the two wells is anticipated to produce approximately 5.66 mcm (200 mcf) of gas/d, to be sold to the Egyptian market. The company is to make a final investment decision on phase one in 2016.

"Success of this first phase is expected to trigger additional investment and further wells to increase production,” the company said.

The company found the Atoll discovery in March 2015 using the semi-submersible Maersk Discoverer. The Maerskdiscoverer drilled the Atoll-1 well at a water depth of 923 meters and reached a TD of 6,400 meters hitting a 50 meters of gas pay in high quality Oligocene sandstones. BP predicts the field to contain approximately 42.5 bcm (1.5 tcf) of gas and 31 million bbls of condensates.