• BP to drill five offshore gas wells in Egypt from 2026

• $140M Valaris contract targets West Nile Delta reserves

• Project aims to offset Egypt’s declining gas production
  

BP Exploration Delta Limited, a subsidiary of Britain’s BP, is proceeding with a five-well gas drilling program offshore Egypt, following a memorandum of understanding signed with the government a few weeks earlier.

Media reports on Oct. 13 said Valaris Limited was awarded a $140 million contract, with operations expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.

According to official statements, the drilling campaign is expected to last about 350 days. It extends BP’s gas development work in Egypt, mainly in the West Nile Delta region offshore Alexandria.

Valaris said the operations will use the drillship Valaris DS-12, capable of working in water depths ranging from 300 to 1,500 meters. The contract covers exploration, development, and bypass wells.

BP said the new wells will be connected to existing infrastructure in the West Nile Delta, including the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater concessions, to shorten connection times and lower operating costs.

The program comes amid a steady decline in Egypt’s gas output, which official JODI data put at about 3.55 billion cubic meters in May 2025, down from over 6.1 billion in March 2021.

BP, which has operated in Egypt since 1960, aims to sustain national production and capitalize on recent finds at the Fayoum-5 and El King-2 wells. In the West Nile Delta, the company holds proved and probable (2P) reserves estimated at nearly 5 trillion cubic feet of gas and 55 million barrels of condensate.

Under the project plan, the five wells will be drilled before testing and tie-in phases. The contract also includes an option for three additional wells, subject to successful results.

Abdel-Latif Boureima