Egypt has announced a fresh natural gas discovery in its Western Desert, offering a boost to the country’s efforts to strengthen domestic energy supply. The find, made by US energy company Apache Corp. in partnership with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp., comes from the SKAL-1X exploratory well in the South Kalabsha area and is producing promising early results. Initial tests indicate output of about 26 million cubic feet of gas per day, along with 2,700 barrels of condensate. The discovery comes as Egypt grapples with a significant supply crunch, producing roughly 4.2 billion cubic feet per day against domestic demand of 6.2 billion—a gap currently plugged by costly LNG imports. It follows policy incentives introduced in 2024 to attract more exploration and investment. Apache, which recently invested $2.7 billion in Egypt’s petroleum sector, plans to drill 34 wells in 2026, targeting 500 million cubic feet daily.
Arab News
