Egypt boosts advanced drilling to raise oil, gas output

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum, Karim Badawi, met on Monday with international technology and service companies to accelerate the rollout of advanced drilling technologies under a five-year plan aimed at increasing domestic crude oil and natural gas production.

The meeting brought together representatives of Schlumberger SLB, Baker Hughes, Weatherford, NESR, and Expro to follow up on executive steps to establish an integrated mechanism for developing drilling technology and field development.

Badawi said the ministry has made significant progress in preparing new contractual and technical models with sufficient flexibility to accommodate expanded use of modern technologies, including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. He noted that the models are designed to incentivise foreign partners to scale up advanced drilling and production techniques, raise operational efficiency, reduce the number of wells, and maximise output.

The minister directed the immediate assessment of the requirements of currently producing fields to precisely identify their technological needs, with a particular focus on expanding horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. He stressed that successful implementation requires the continuous provision and updating of geological data to ensure optimal results and higher production rates.

Company representatives said prioritising hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, alongside accurate geological data, marks a qualitative shift in field development. They expressed readiness to deploy the latest technology packages proven globally to enhance well productivity and improve project economics.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English