bp has signed a contract with Valaris, an American offshore drilling contractor, to drill five new natural gas wells in its Mediterranean concession areas at a depth of 300-1500 meters, utilizing the Valaris DS-12 deepwater drilling rig. The agreement marks the next phase of bp’s new drilling program in Egypt. This follows a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in September with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) in London to implement the program.
Commenting on the move, Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, stated that bp’s recent gas projects in the Mediterranean were pivotal for boosting domestic gas production and securing new resources during peak summer consumption. He emphasized the government’s full support to accelerate bp’s new projects, with the goal to increase local gas output over the next year, while discovering new gas reservoirs to enhance Egypt’s production capacity and reduce import needs.
bp is expected to begin operations in 2026, covering a mix of sidetrack, development and exploration wells aimed at accelerating the development and production of natural gas reserves. The program will leverage existing offshore and onshore infrastructure within the West Nile Delta area to maximize efficiency and optimize production timelines, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum.
Nader Zaki, bp’s Regional President for the Middle East and North Africa, described the contract as “a strategic milestone” in the company’s ongoing investment in Egypt’s energy sector this decade. He added that bp is committed to developing additional gas resources in the Nile Delta and bringing them into production as fast as possible to meet growing domestic demand.
For his part, Wael Shahin, bp Egypt Country Manager, said that the DS-12 rig will enable bp to build on the success of its recent exploration campaign and accelerate production from new discoveries. This will support Egypt’s energy security and sustain gas output from the West Nile Delta beyond 2030, he added.
bp has been present in Egypt’s oil and gas sector for 60 years. The new drilling campaign follows bp’s exploration activities in the first half of 2025, which led to two new gas discoveries within the West Nile Delta basin: Fayoum-5 and King-2.
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