• Deal with Eni expands Qatari presence in Eastern Mediterranean gas sector

• Follows recent acquisitions in Algeria, Congo, and South Africa

Qatar’s state-owned energy company QatarEnergy said on Monday it acquired a 40% stake in the offshore North Rafah exploration block, located off Egypt’s coast in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Egyptian government approved QatarEnergy’s participation in the block, with Italy’s Eni remaining the operator holding the other 60%. The block covers about 3,000 square kilometers at depths of up to 450 meters.

North Rafah is the second Egyptian asset acquired by QatarEnergy. The company recently took a 27% stake in the offshore North Cleopatra block, partnering with Shell (36%), Chevron (27%), and Tharwa Petroleum (10%).

QatarEnergy joined the North Rafah project through a farm-out agreement with Eni, allowing the Qatari firm to share the costs and risks of upcoming exploration. The financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal is part of QatarEnergy’s strategy to expand its presence in gas-rich regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. The company has accelerated its acquisitions in Africa since joining the 2022 Venus gas discovery in Namibia’s Orange Basin.

In 2025, QatarEnergy secured a 24% stake in Block 3B/4B off South Africa’s Orange Basin, partnering with TotalEnergies, and increased its stake to 35.25% in Block 2913B near the Venus find, also alongside the French major.

In North Africa, QatarEnergy obtained exploration rights in June 2025 for Algeria’s onshore Ahara Block, and in September 2025, it was awarded a 35% interest in the Nzombo offshore block in Congo, operated by TotalEnergies (50%) and the Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (15%).

QatarEnergy has not yet disclosed its exploration plans for the North Rafah block.

Abdel-Latif Boureima