BP targets 80 mln cubic feet of gas per day from restarted Mediterranean well

Ahram Online , Sunday 26 Jul 2026

Global energy giant British Petroleum (BP) has completed sidetrack drilling to restart production at its Fayoum North-4 well in the Mediterranean Sea, with the well expected to add an estimated 80 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to Egypt's national grid, according to a Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources statement on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources

The newly drilled bypass enables production to resume at the well, which reaches depths of more than 3,000 metres, eliminating the need to drill a separate new well.

The project aims to increase domestic natural gas production through engineering solutions that accelerate new output at a lower cost by maximizing the use of existing infrastructure, as Egypt seeks to establish itself as a regional energy hub and meet growing fuel demand.

BP has been expanding its operations in the area. In March 2026, the company launched an offshore drilling campaign in the Mediterranean using the Valaris DS-12 drilling vessel to drill four wells. The campaign came as Egypt continued making regular payments of outstanding arrears to foreign energy companies.

The project also supports the ministry's plan to reduce Egypt's energy import bill after it more than doubled from $1.2 billion in January to $2.5 billion in March due to escalating regional tensions. The tensions prompted Egypt to secure additional LNG shipments and adjust supply flows.

During the first nine months of FY2025/2026, Egypt's oil trade deficit widened by $2.8 billion to $13.1 billion, compared with $10.3 billion a year earlier. The increase was driven by oil imports, which rose to $17.3 billion from $14.5 billion, largely because natural gas imports increased by $2.6 billion.

Meanwhile, oil exports edged up by $55 million to $4.22 billion from $4.17 billion, supported by a $234.1 million increase in exports of natural gas products.

The project also comes as part of Egypt's five-year strategy to drill more than 100 exploratory oil and gas wells in 2026 and more than 480 wells across all petroleum-producing areas.

Over the past 60 years, BP has invested more than $35 billion in Egypt's energy sector, making the country one of the company's largest investment destinations.

In 2023, BP announced plans to invest $3.5 billion in gas exploration in Egypt over three years and drill five new gas wells in the Mediterranean using existing infrastructure in the West Nile Delta, connecting discoveries to existing production facilities.