Egypt's Zohr Hits 2bn ft³/d Early
Eni announced September 8 that the giant Zohr gas field offshore Egypt's Nile Delta is now producing 2bn ft3/d (equivalent to 20.7bn m3/yr)
The production milestone – equivalent to 365,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day – was achieved only eight months after first gas in December 2017, and one year ahead of schedule. It is on target to reach a plateau in excess of 2.7bn ft3/d in 2019, Eni added. It is only two and a half years since the field, with 30 trillion ft3 of gas in place, was discovered.
The Italian company said the new 2bn ft3/d threshold was achieved thanks to the start-up of a fifth production unit (T4), backed by eight gas producer wells and a new 30-inch, 218 km sealine, commissioned last month. It said the latest achievement "reinforces the exceptional development path of the Zohr project, one of Eni's seven record-breaking projects, which is playing a fundamental role in supporting Egypt's independence from LNG imports."
The Zohr field, the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea, is located within the offshore Shorouk Block, 190 km north of Port Said. In the Shorouk Block, Eni holds a 50% stake, Rosneft 30%, BP 10% and Abu Dhabi state-owned Mubadala Petroleum 10%. Operator is Petrobel, a joint venture of Eni and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).
A month ago Egypt awarded the Nour concession, also close to Zohr/Shourouk, for which it also has high hopes of finding gas. When press reports circulated in June, quoting Egyptian official sources saying that it might hold three times more than the 30 trillion ft3 (850bn m3) gas in place at the Eni-operated supergiant Zohr gas field, Eni was quick to argue there had been no exploratory drilling on the licence to date and that it had yet to be awarded. Now Eni is keen to drill as soon as possible.
Zohr viewed from the shore, Photo credit: Eni