Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum has announced an ambitious $1.6 billion investment plan for natural gas exploration and development in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, aimed at boosting domestic production and reducing import dependency [1][2].

Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi has directed the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) to expedite the development of undeveloped gas discoveries, emphasizing the urgent need to bring these resources into production [1].

The comprehensive plan includes drilling 17 exploratory and evaluation wells in the Delta and Mediterranean regions at a cost of $434 million. Additionally, seven development projects and 24 new production wells are planned, targeting daily production rates of 630 million cubic feet of gas and 7,000 barrels of condensates [2].

"The incentive packages for increasing production have yielded results, clearly evident in the intensification of operations by international oil and gas companies in Egypt," Minister Badawi stated during the EGAS general assembly meeting [1].

Current infrastructure developments include expanding the national gas network, which now extends approximately 104,000 kilometers across Egypt. The network operates using advanced SCADA technology through the National Gas Control Center [2].

The ministry also reported progress in its domestic gas connection program, targeting 800,000 new residential connections in 2025-2026. This expansion will bring the total number of connected households to over 15.6 million since the program's inception [3].