Italian oil and gas giant and BP have made a new gas discovery in the Great Nooros Area in the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt through the drilling of the Nidoco NW-1 exploratory well in the Abu Madi West Development Lease.

The new gas discovery in Egypt was made in the conventional waters of the Nile Delta, 4km north from the Nooros field, which was discovered in 2015.

Eni stated: “The Nidoco NW-1 exploratory well discovered gas-bearing sands for a total thickness of 100 meters, of which 50 meters within the Pliocene sands of the Kafr-El-Sheik formations and 50 meters within the Messinian age sandstone of the Abu Madi formations, both levels with good petrophysical properties.

“In the Abu Madi formations a new level, which was not yet encountered in the Nooros field, has been crossed proving the high potential of the Great Nooros Area and the further extension of the gas potential to the North of the field.”

The Italian oil and gas giant, which is the operator of the block, said that preliminary assessment of the well results indicates that the Great Nooros Area gas in place can be estimated to be over 4Tcf. This is based on the extension of the reservoir towards the north and the dynamic behavior of the field, along with the recent discoveries made in the area, said Eni.

The Italian energy company alongside its partner BP, in coordination with the Egyptian Petroleum Sector, will commence screening the development options of the new discovery with an objective to benefit from the synergies with the existing infrastructures in the area.

Via its subsidiary IEOC, Eni has a stake of 75% in the license of Abu Madi West Development Lease, while BP holds the remaining stake of 25%.

The operator of the license is Petrobel, a 50:50 joint venture between IEOC and the Egyptian state-owned company Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).

  Abu Madi West Development Lease, BP, Egypt, Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, Eni, Great Nooros Area, IEOC, Mediterranean Sea, Nidoco NW-1, Nile Delta