The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Chevron have announced positive results from the drilling of the Nargis-2 natural gas well in the Mediterranean Sea, marking a further step towards evaluating the Nargis discovery and determining its commercial development potential.
Drilling operations commenced last May and were carried out by Chevron, its partners and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), using the Stena Forth drillship.
The well reached a final depth exceeding 5,000 metres, targeting the extent of the Nargis discovery, initially identified in 2022, and investigating deeper geological formations.
Technical evaluation confirmed the continuation of gas-bearing formations previously encountered at Nargis-1, alongside the identification of an additional gas-bearing layer with favourable characteristics.
The results indicate net gas-bearing thicknesses of up to 35 metres, providing a positive basis for further technical studies to establish the discovery’s full potential and determine viable development options.
The findings support ongoing efforts to assess the Mediterranean’s gas resources, including formations associated with high-pressure, high-temperature conditions, and identify opportunities to bring additional resources into production.
The ministry’s strategy prioritises accelerating the development of previously undeveloped discoveries, encouraging investment partners to intensify exploration activities and converting discovered resources into developable reserves.
These efforts aim to strengthen Egypt’s domestic natural gas output and maximise the value of its hydrocarbon resources.The Nargis concession is operated by Chevron, in partnership with Italy’s Eni, the United Arab Emirates’ Mubadala Energy and Egypt’s Tharwa Petroleum.
The latest results represent an encouraging milestone in the ongoing assessment of the Nargis field.
Further technical evaluation will be required to determine its overall resource potential, commercial viability and prospects for future development and production.
