The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on Sunday the successful completion of drilling and completion of two new gas production wells in the offshore Raven gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.
This significant milestone achievement was realisedthrough the efforts of BP International.
The vessel “Volaris DS 12” was utilised in in the drilling campaign, which commenced in the latter half of 2024. Currently, offshore installation works are in progress to connect these newly drilled wells to the existing production networks within the Mediterranean Sea. This strategic integration aims to seamlessly commence production from these wells, with an anticipated start date of February 2025, which is a notable three-month advancement ahead of the original schedule, a testament to the accelerated pace of drilling and installation operations.
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi oversaw this crucial phase.
It should be noted that Minister Badawi conducted an inspection tour of the drilling vessel “Volaris DS 12″on July 20, 2024. He was accompanied by key leaders within the petroleum sector, emphasising the Ministry’s commitment to monitoring and supporting these critical operations.
Following the successful completion of the drilling programme at the Raven field, the “Volaris DS 12” has been strategically redeployed to initiate exploratory drilling operations in the King area, another key asset within BP’s portfolio in the Mediterranean Sea.
The strategic significance of the King exploration area lies in its close proximity to BP’s existing facilities and marine pipelines within the West Nile Delta project. A successful outcome from this exploration venture will facilitate the seamless integration of the new well into the existing production infrastructure, enabling swift addition of new gas volumes to production. This aligns perfectly with the Ministry’s overarching strategy to enhance domestic gas production.
The exploratory drilling operations in the King area serve as a testament to the Ministry’s intensified focus on offshore activities within the Mediterranean Sea over the past six months.
This period has witnessed a surge in offshore drilling activity, exemplified by Chevron’s commencement of drilling operations in the Western Mediterranean with the “Khanjar-1” well, ExxonMobil’s initiation of drilling the “Nefertari-1” well, and Eni’s recent resumption of drilling operations in the “Zohr” field.
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