Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has reiterated the Egyptian government’s dedication to fostering new investments within the oil and gas sector. This commitment was underscored during a comprehensive tour of the natural gas production facilities located in Egypt’s West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) area, situated in Beheira Governorate.
The Prime Minister was joined by Karim Badawi, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, alongside key executives from prominent international companies actively engaged in the region. Among these were representatives from UK Shell, Malaysia’s Petronas, and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC). The WDDM area operations are managed by Rashid Petroleum Company (Rashpetco), a joint venture involving the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) in collaboration with Shell and Petronas.
During his visit, Madbouly emphasized the profound importance of the petroleum sector to Egypt’s economic landscape. He noted the government’s ongoing efforts to introduce a range of incentives and facilitative measures designed to attract additional investments. These initiatives aim to encourage international energy companies to intensify their exploration and production activities.
“Our goal is to attract more investments into this vital sector and encourage global partners to inject new capital into exploration and development activities,” Madbouly said.
Minister Badawi characterized the WDDM area as one of Egypt’s most significant natural gas-producing regions in the Mediterranean. He presented it as a successful illustration of collaborative efforts between the Egyptian petroleum sector and its international partners. The Minister elaborated that recent sector reforms, coupled with attractive investment incentives, have been instrumental. Additionally, the government’s program to settle outstanding dues owed to foreign partners, which was fully completed by 10th June 2026, has significantly restored investor confidence. This has, in turn, accelerated development plans and bolstered production growth.
Badawi further noted that the 10th and 11th phases of the WDDM development project were successfully implemented throughout 2024 and 2025. These phases have introduced new production capacity, contributing to the reinforcement of domestic gas supplies and helping to mitigate the natural decline in production from mature fields.
He also pointed to Egypt’s competitive edge, stemming from its integrated infrastructure for gas production and processing. This setup effectively reduces development costs and allows for the rapid integration of newly discovered reserves. Badawi added that the WDDM area possesses ample infrastructure capacity to accommodate increased gas volumes within short timeframes.
The West Mina gas field, recognized as one of the area’s most crucial offshore discoveries, is slated to commence production in the fourth quarter of 2026. The field is projected to yield 160 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) upon completion of tie-in operations to the existing infrastructure. This field was discovered in October 2023 and is currently undergoing development by Shell and KUFPEC, utilizing a subsea tie-back to the established WDDM infrastructure.
Following the tour, Prime Minister Madbouly reviewed the ongoing activities of the international partners within the field and their future investment plans for the WDDM area.
Dalia El Gabry, Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Egypt, provided an overview of the company’s extensive operations in Egypt, where it has maintained a presence for over 110 years. She highlighted Shell’s multifaceted role across the energy value chain, encompassing natural gas production in the WDDM, exploration endeavors in the Nile Delta and Herodotus Basin, as well as the liquefaction and export of gas via the Idku LNG plant. El Gabry reaffirmed Shell’s unwavering commitment to close collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) and its partners to develop these assets and ensure secure, responsible, and sustainable energy supplies, reinforcing the drive for oil and gas investment.
Hany Esmat, CEO and Country Chair of Petronas Egypt, discussed the company’s partnership with Shell in offshore gas production projects within the West Delta region and its involvement with the Idku LNG plant. He expressed keen interest in expanding Petronas’ investments in Egypt’s dynamic gas sector.
Abdulaziz Al-Mousawi, Country Manager of KUFPEC, detailed the company’s investment portfolio in Egypt, which includes assets in the Gulf of Suez and its Mediterranean partnership with Shell. He also conveyed pride in KUFPEC’s participation in the development of the West Mina field, which is anticipated to begin production in late 2026, underscoring the ongoing commitment to exploration and development.
