Italian energy group Eni is preparing a major new drilling programme in Egypt involving 230 wells, as the company expands its oil and gas operations and Cairo seeks to reinforce its position as an Eastern Mediterranean energy hub.
The programme includes 30 exploration wells and 200 development wells, with activity expected to focus heavily on the Mediterranean and Western Desert. Eni’s cumulative investments in Egypt have reached about $8.5 billion, according to figures presented following talks between Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Descalzi met el-Sisi on Tuesday alongside Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi to discuss Eni’s existing operations, new exploration plans and Egypt’s wider role in regional gas production.
Eni said its recent upstream investments have helped increase new gas production and strengthened its position as Egypt’s leading oil and gas producer.
The latest drilling programme is expected to combine new exploration with development of existing discoveries, allowing additional production to be brought online while making greater use of infrastructure already operating across the country.
The Italian group has placed particular emphasis on projects that can be developed quickly by connecting new discoveries to nearby processing and production facilities.
One of the most significant recent finds is Denise West, discovered in April in the Temsah concession offshore Egypt.
Eni estimates the discovery contains about 2 trillion cubic feet of gas and 130 million barrels of condensate in place. The field lies less than 10 kilometres from existing infrastructure, giving the company an opportunity to accelerate development and reduce the need for major new facilities.
Eni is working with BP and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation on the project and is targeting a final investment decision in the coming months.
The Denise West discovery forms part of an offshore Mediterranean exploration campaign that Eni launched in October 2025.
Egypt’s Zohr field, the largest gas discovery in the Eastern Mediterranean, also remains central to Eni’s operations in the country. Infrastructure linked to Zohr is increasingly being positioned not only to process Egyptian production but also to handle gas arriving from neighbouring countries.
That strategy is becoming more important as Egypt seeks to establish itself as a regional processing and export centre.
Eni’s Cronos gas project offshore Cyprus is expected to play a key role in that plan.
The company reached a final investment decision on Cronos in July and plans to bring the field into production in 2028. Cronos contains more than 3 trillion cubic feet of gas in place and is expected to reach production of around 500 million standard cubic feet per day.
Gas from the Cypriot field will be transported to Egypt and processed using existing Zohr facilities before being sent to the Damietta LNG plant for liquefaction and export to international markets, primarily Europe.
The arrangement allows Eni to use existing Egyptian infrastructure rather than develop an entirely separate export system in Cyprus.
For Egypt, the project could provide additional volumes for its LNG infrastructure and strengthen the country’s role as a link between Eastern Mediterranean gas producers and overseas customers.
For Eni, the expansion comes as the company continues to prioritise gas projects that can be developed relatively quickly and connected to existing facilities.
Egyptian authorities have said they will continue supporting Eni’s investment plans and addressing obstacles affecting its operations as the government works to raise domestic production and attract additional international energy investment.
The cooperation between Eni and Egypt also extends beyond hydrocarbons. The company has been working with Egyptian institutions on health and community-development initiatives, alongside its energy investments.
With 230 wells planned, new offshore discoveries moving toward development and Cypriot gas expected to flow through Egyptian infrastructure, Eni’s next phase of activity is set to deepen its long-standing position in Egypt while giving Cairo additional support for its ambition to become a major regional gas hub.
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