Egypt, Chevron review Nargis-2 well results, gas exploration plans

Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi met on Tuesday with Chevron Vice President of Exploration Kevin McLachlan on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2026 to discuss the company’s exploration activities and expansion plans in Egypt.

The talks covered positive results from drilling the Nargis-2 well in the Mediterranean Sea, which confirmed the extension of gas-bearing formations discovered in Nargis-1 and identified an additional gas-bearing layer. The results support further appraisal activities to assess the discovery’s resource potential and development opportunities.

Chevron is currently investing in six offshore exploration blocks in Egypt: Nargis, North Dabaa, Lotus, Northwest Atoll, North Simian, and North Cleopatra, where it partners with Shell as the operator.

Badawi stressed the importance of the partnership with Chevron and efforts to accelerate the appraisal and development of discoveries to increase domestic natural gas production and maximise the use of Egypt’s petroleum resources.

McLachlan highlighted Egypt’s strategic importance to Chevron’s Eastern Mediterranean portfolio, citing its promising investment opportunities and advanced natural gas infrastructure.