• New oil find in Abu Sennan yields 1,400 barrels of crude and 1 million cubic feet of gas per day
• Egypt invests $1.2 billion to drill 110 wells in 2024/2025 fiscal year
• Onshore focus aims to secure energy supply and support local producers

Egypt is increasing its efforts to discover new oil and gas fields as it faces a serious energy crisis. Natural gas production has dropped sharply in recent years. On Monday, June 16, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced a new oil discovery in the Abu Sennan area, located in the western desert.

The discovery comes from ongoing exploration in the zone, especially from the GPR-1X well. Early figures show that the well is producing 1,400 barrels of crude oil and one million cubic feet of gas per day. The government is also raising its spending on onshore exploration. For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, Egypt has set aside $1.2 billion to drill 110 wells.

This plan is part of a wider strategy to secure national energy supply and make the most of the country’s known reserves. Older sites that have passed their peak output, such as the Zohr gas field, are now key targets.

Mohamed Abdel Majeed, President of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), said, “The latest electrical surveys suggest potential within other geological formations, which are currently under evaluation.” Production tests are ongoing at the GPR-1X site to check if the results can be sustained at a commercial level.

This is the second oil find in the Abu Sennan zone in the past three months. Officials believe that onshore oil fields play a key role in Egypt’s energy strategy. They help maintain stable production levels without relying too much on large offshore projects. They also support the work of local oil companies already operating in western Egypt.

Besides its activity in the western desert, Egypt is also exploring the eastern desert. Since late April, the government has started drilling 75 new wells in the Gulf of Gharib area. This operation is expected to take 12 months.