Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on Monday a new natural gas discovery in the Western Desert, marking another addition to the country’s recent upstream gains. The find was made by Khalda Petroleum Company, one of Egypt’s largest joint-venture operators, in partnership with U.S.-based Apache Corporation.
According to the ministry, the Gomana-1 exploratory well was drilled after electric logging data indicated multiple gas-bearing layers. Initial production tests showed a promising flow rate of around 36 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, placing the well among the more significant recent Western Desert discoveries.
Khalda Petroleum is now conducting full reserve assessments and extended testing while working to integrate the well into the production grid within the next 48 hours, the ministry added.
The discovery reinforces Khalda and Apache’s ongoing exploration success across Egypt’s Western Desert, a region that continues to yield new oil and gas potential despite being one of the country’s most mature hydrocarbon basins.
Officials said the additional output will support Egypt’s broader strategy to maximize domestic gas production, reduce reliance on imports, and strengthen the country’s position as a regional energy hub. The announcement also comes as Egypt works to reverse a decline in natural gas output seen over the past few years. In August, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said national gas production—currently about 4.1 billion cubic feet per day—is expected to rise to 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 as new fields come online.
