Egypt: Western Desert Oil Production Surged

Egypt reported a surge in Western Desert oil production, mainly driven by a jump in production by Khalda Petroleum Company- a joint venture between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and US Apache Corporation.

Saeed Abdel Moneim, Chairman of Khalda Petroleum Company, noted that it boosted the average production of crude oil, condensates, and natural gas from its Western Desert fields to 220,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) during 2023/24. The company’s crude oil production increased from about 113,600 barrels per day (b/d) in FY 2022/23 to about 121,000 b/d in FY 2023/24.

Khalda Petroleum Company attained a milestone by drilling 23 successful exploration wells during the year. The company has been focusing on implementing state-of-the-art technologies in its operations, aiming to drive output by overcoming challenges.

Recently, the company had discovered new oil in the Kalabsha development area. The well was tested by drilling 270 feet into the Paleozoic sands.

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, highlighted the significance of boosting investment in oil and gas exploration across Egypt’s onshore and offshore regions, especially in the Western Desert. Furthermore, he added, efforts must be stepped up to ensure elevated natural gas production.