Italian energy giant Eni has reportedly started production from the Mediterranean’s largest gas discovery – the Zohr.
Egypt’s petroleum minister Tareq Al-Mulla announced the start of experimental operation to pump gas from the offshore wells to new plant in Port Said.
With an initial production of 350 million cubic feet per day, gas from Zohr will be be treated and pumped into the national gas network.
The minister said that the completion of the first phase of the Zohr development was planned for June 2018, and the production is expected to reach more than one billion cubic feet of gas per day by then.
He said the Zohr contribution would help Egypt in its effort to achieve self-sufficiency in gas supply, and to reduce the burden on the state budget and reduce the import bill.
The second phase of the project is planned to be completed by the end of 2019. Once fully developed, the Zohr is expected to reach production of 2.7 billion cubic feet per day.
Worth noting, Eni has yet to confirm the start-up of production.
Zohr was discovered by Eni in August of 2015 and, with a total potential of 850 billion cubic meters of gas in place, is the largest natural gas field ever discovered in the Mediterranean.
Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Eni, seeking more info on the reported start of gas production from the Zohr field.
An Eni spokesperson said:” Yes, some news agencies reported that Zohr has started-up but actually is an experimental operation. Eni reiterates that final tests and functional checks of submarine wells as well as of the 220 km of gas pipes that transport the gas from the wells to the onshore treatment plant are still underway. Furthermore, the process verification and the set-up of the first onshore gas treatment unit (EPF) is still ongoing and will be completed soon.”
Offshore Energy Today Staff