Egypt Gas Discovery ENI 2 Trillion Cubic Feet Natural Resource Find

Egypt and Italian energy giant Eni have announced a significant natural gas discovery off the country’s Mediterranean coast, offering a potential boost to Egypt’s energy security amid ongoing disruptions caused by regional conflict. Preliminary estimates indicate the find in the Eastern Mediterranean Temsah field contains about 2 trillion cubic feet of gas, along with 130 million barrels of petroleum condensates.

The discovery comes as Egypt faces mounting challenges in securing stable energy supplies. Supplies from Qatar and Israel have been severely disrupted due to the war between Israel and Iran, prompting Cairo to introduce energy-saving measures including a business curfew, fuel price hikes, and delays to government projects. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently stated that the conflict has nearly tripled Egypt’s monthly natural gas import bill, from $560 million to $1.65 billion.

The Temsah find is part of a broader strategy to increase domestic production, offset natural decline in existing fields, and reduce reliance on costly imports. The Denise W well is now being prepared for testing, after which additional wells will be drilled and an offshore production platform constructed before the site can begin contributing to national output.

The announcement follows another discovery last month in Egypt’s Western Desert, where Apache Corporation reported a field expected to yield 26 million cubic feet of gas per day.

Egypt has long sought to balance domestic energy needs with ambitions to become a regional energy hub. The 2015 discovery of the Zohr field—the Mediterranean’s largest gas field with an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet—initially raised hopes of energy self-sufficiency and major export potential. However, in recent years, Cairo has shifted focus toward positioning itself as a processing and export hub, leveraging its liquefaction terminals to route offshore gas from neighboring countries such as Cyprus.

The latest discovery offers a timely boost to Egypt’s energy strategy as it navigates both domestic demand pressures and its role in the wider Eastern Mediterranean gas market.