Egypt boosts oil production in Western Desert

Egypt has increased oil production in the Western Desert as part of its efforts to boost domestic output and reduce reliance on imports.

Oil and condensate output rose by 12,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the past two weeks, the cabinet said in a statement, quoting the petroleum ministry.

Khalda Petroleum, a joint venture between the state-backed Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and US-based Apache, reported an increase of more than 10,000 bpd. Its production rose from 113,300 bpd on May 26 to 123,500 bpd on June 8, driven by artificial intelligence that accelerated operational efficiency.

Meanwhile, state-owned General Petroleum Company recorded its highest production since October 2024, with output reaching 74,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including 61,000 barrels of crude.

The Western Desert spans about 1 million square kilometres, stretching from the Nile River to the Libyan border.

Cairo earlier this month cleared its dues to global oil and gas companies, petroleum minister Karim Badawi said.

In March, prime minister Mostafa Madbouly said Egypt’s gas import bill had increased by $1 billion a month since the outbreak of the Iran war.

The North African nation has approved a plan to drill 100 exploratory oil and gas wells in 2026 as part of a five-year investment blueprint.

The country’s extractable crude oil and gas reserves are estimated by the Arab Energy Organization at 3.3 billion barrels and 2.1 trillion cubic metres, respectively.

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