Egypt’s Nassem-1X Well Holds Preliminary Estimate of About 200 Billion Cubic Feet of Gas
Key Facts
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced positive results on November 6, 2026, from drilling the Nassem-1X exploration well in the Taiba concession in the Mediterranean, estimating original gas in place at about 200 billion cubic feet. The announcement provides an initial estimate of the gas in the reservoir, while the ministry continues to assess what can be recovered and the well’s production potential. The ministry said, "The original gas in place is estimated at about 200 billion cubic feet." This means the announced figure does not represent proven recoverable reserves and, on its own, does not determine how much gas will reach the market. The next step depends on completing the technical and reservoir studies that precede preparation of a development and production plan.
The ministry said the net thickness of the gas-bearing layer is about 15 meters, measured at true vertical depth, according to the preliminary assessment. This measurement describes the layer in which gas was identified, alongside the estimate of its original volume in the reservoir. The ministry said the producing layer has a "net thickness of about 15 meters at true vertical depth." Its characterization remains part of the preliminary assessment under way, alongside the determination of recoverable reserves. The ministry did not announce an expected production figure for the well.
Italy’s Eni operates the Taiba concession in partnership with Australia’s Woodside, while Petrobel carried out the well-drilling work on behalf of the partners. Woodside said in its third-quarter report that drilling of Nassem-1X began in August 2026 and that it holds a 40% non-operated interest in the concession. This provides a timeline for drilling ahead of the ministry’s November announcement and clarifies the division of roles between the concession operator and the partner that carried out the drilling. The ministry described Eni as a "key operator" in partnership with Woodside. The announcement included no further details on the partners’ stakes beyond Woodside’s disclosure of its interest.
Alongside the reservoir assessment, a gas pipeline about 22 kilometers long is being planned to connect the well to the Abu Madi–El Gameel pipeline. The ministry said the proposed tie-in route would make use of existing infrastructure and help accelerate the discovery’s path to production. It said the planned line would be "about 22 kilometers" long, without announcing a start date for production from the well. The tie-in’s execution remains linked to the progress of studies that will determine recoverable reserves and production potential, followed by preparation of a development and production plan. The announcement therefore set no production timetable or target volume.
The ministry placed the discovery in the context of growing exploration activity and an improved investment climate in the oil and gas sector, alongside the settlement of investment partners’ dues. It said that an improved investment climate "encourages further investment and exploration." In September 2026, the ministry announced that Egypt aimed to add about 330 million cubic feet per day to domestic production before year-end, including 250 million from Zohr and West Mina and 80 million from the Melehia fields. The petroleum minister said in mid-2026 that production stood at 3.7 billion cubic feet per day and could rise to about 4.2 billion during fiscal year 2026/2027. These figures remain previously announced national targets and estimates and do not specify Nassem-1X’s contribution to them.
The announcement also comes as the ministry said EGAS plans to drill 16 gas exploration wells during fiscal year 2026/2027, targeting resources estimated at about 6 trillion cubic feet. In September, it said Egyptian and international partners had made 9 discoveries during fiscal year 2025/2026, including 8 gas discoveries that added reserves of about 2.8 trillion cubic feet, and that 3 gas exploration wells were being drilled, with a plan to complete them before the end of 2026. On the demand side, domestic consumption rose to about 7.28 billion cubic feet per day in July and August 2026, compared with 6.45 billion between October 2025 and March 2026, according to the minister’s remarks. He also said the cost of an imported liquefied natural gas cargo had doubled to about $80 million, from about $40 million before the war. The next step for Nassem-1X, according to the ministry’s announcement, is to complete the technical and reservoir studies to determine what can be recovered and the production potential, ahead of a development and production plan.