Egypt has reported a preliminary gas discovery at the Nasim-1X exploratory well in the Mediterranean, with an estimated 200 billion cubic feet of gas in the reservoir. The figure is an initial estimate of gas in place, not a confirmed measure of recoverable reserves.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced positive drilling results on November 6, 2026. The well is in the Tiba concession, where testing identified a gas-bearing layer with a net thickness of about 15 metres, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum.
Technical and reservoir studies are continuing to establish how much gas could be extracted, possible production rates and whether the discovery is commercially viable. The ministry has not set a date for production to begin.
Planned link to existing pipeline
Egypt plans to connect the well to existing facilities with a pipeline of about 22 kilometres linking it to the Abu Madi–El Gamil pipeline. The proposed connection would use existing infrastructure, but the project’s production timetable has not been announced.
Eni operates the Tiba concession in partnership with Australia’s Woodside. Egyptian company Petrobel carried out the drilling on behalf of the partners.
Egypt is seeking to strengthen domestic gas supplies after production declined in recent years and the country became more reliant on imports to meet demand. The ministry cited increased investment and exploration activity, along with progress in settling overdue payments to foreign energy companies, as factors behind the drilling results.
Clayton Ward