PORT SAID, Egypt, Feb 8 (MENA) - Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli started on Saturday an inspection visit to Egypt's giant Zohr gas field in the eastern Mediterranean after the arrival of drillship Saipem 10000 to begin work at the gas field.

The premier said the well's output is expected to be back to normal before mid 2025, thus reducing Egypt's importation bill.

In a statement, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources had said that the drillship Saipem 10000 will begin a drilling campaign, using modern technologies.

The ministry said this fell within the framework of efforts to resume plans of developing the gas field under an agreement between the ministry and the Italian company Eni.

Under the plans, new wells are scheduled to be drilled within the coming the first three months of 2025.

Eni discovered the field in 2015. Average production at Zohr was 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in the first half of 2024, well below the peak reached in 2019.

Saipem 10000 is a specialized vessel owned by Italian energy services company Saipem. (MENA)
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