Drilling operations at the offshore exploratory Felix-1X well in Egypt’s North Cleopatra concession have identified promising petroleum indicators. The findings confirm the presence of an active petroleum system and crude oil in the western Mediterranean, raising hopes for the region’s first major crude oil discovery once technical evaluations conclude.
Drilling began on May 23 and successfully reached its target geological layers at a total depth of approximately 6,500 metres below sea level.
The well is operated by Shell in co-operation with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), alongside partners Chevron and Tharwa Petroleum. QatarEnergy is currently finalising procedures to join the consortium.
Located roughly 90 kilometres off Egypt’s coast, the well was drilled by the Stena IceMAX drillship. Operations were completed 10 days ahead of schedule and under budget, highlighting high operational efficiency.
Authorities and partners are now analysing crude oil samples and evaluating technical data to guide the next exploration phase, which may include drilling additional appraisal wells.
While the western Mediterranean accounts for roughly 40% of the Mediterranean Sea’s total area, it remains vastly under-explored with only four exploratory wells drilled to date — compared with more than 1,000 in the eastern basin.
The preliminary results are expected to strengthen the region’s appeal to major global energy players. Companies already active in the area include Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and BP.
Furthermore, the discovery aligns with broader strategy by Egypt’s petroleum sector to enhance the investment climate, settle financial dues with foreign partners, expand 2D and 3D seismic surveying, and build comprehensive geological data to accelerate commercial discoveries.
