Egypt’s Alexandria Petroleum Maintenance Company (Petromaint) has secured a EGP 3.75 billion ($122 million) deal to provide full maintenance services for the Zubair oil fields in southern Iraq, underscoring Cairo’s bid to expand its energy services footprint abroad.
The three-year contract, already underway, covers one of Iraq’s most productive oil fields, operated by Italy’s Eni. “We began work a few weeks ago, and we look forward to deepening our cooperation with international partners, particularly Eni,” said Ahmed Hassan, Petromaint’s assistant general manager for business development.
Petromaint, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum, employs around 10,000 staff, including 500 engineers and technicians, and operates in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman, with additional branches across the Gulf and Africa. The Zubair contract strengthens its regional portfolio as Iraq targets output above 400,000 barrels per day from the field.
The company is also weighing an expansion into Algeria, with plans for a factory to deliver maintenance and construction services to the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. The initiative coincides with Algeria’s $7bn petrochemical investment programme for 2025-29 (Zawya), while contractors such as Maire Tecnimont have already secured billion-dollar deals (Reuters).
Analysts say the twin push into Iraq and Algeria highlights Petromaint’s ambition to position itself as a regional oilfield services leader, capitalising on rising demand for localized expertise amid Middle East and North African energy expansion.
