Picture the scene: a new gas well discovery off the Egyptian coast, a single 152m thick gas column within the Messinian age sandstones of the Abu Madi formation, with excellent petrophysical properties. The discovery of this ‘Bashrush’ prospect demonstrates the significant gas and condensate potential of the Messinian formations in this sector of the Egyptian offshore shallow waters, and it will be tested for production.
The new discovery is located in 22m of water depth, 11km from the coast and 12km North-West from the ‘Nooros’ field and about 1km west of the Baltim South West field, both of which are already in production. It offers great potential and Italy-based Eni, together with its partners BP and Total (in coordination with the Egyptian Petroleum Sector) will begin screening the development options of this new discovery with the aim of ‘fast tracking’ production through synergies with the area’s existing infrastructures.
Sounds like an excerpt straight out of the 1990s, right? Wrong – this is a new discovery announced on 1st July (2020), underlining the still-dominant root and branch of fossil fuels in both our energy systems and economies, globally.
According to the announcement, Eni (as the Operator of the Block), BP and Total (as Contractor members) have successfully drilled the first exploration well in the North El Hammad license, in the conventional Egyptian waters of the Nile Delta, on the prospect called Bashrush. In parallel with the development activities associated with this new discovery, Eni will also continue to explore the ‘Great Nooros Area’ with the drilling, this year, of another exploration well called Nidoco NW-1 DIR, located in the Abu Madi West concession.
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