Apache Updates Badawi on Egypt's Western Desert Operations

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, met with John J. Christmann IV, Apache Corporation CEO, and several company executives to discuss Apache’s recent discoveries in Egypt’s Western Desert through Khalda Petroleum Company, which recorded initial production of 40 million cubic feet (mmcf) of natural gas per day.

The Minister said rapidly connecting discoveries to the national gas network and using existing infrastructure provides a successful model for accelerating field development, strengthening local market supplies, and reducing the cost and time needed to bring new wells into production. Discussions also covered improving operational efficiency at fields and production sites through infrastructure modernization, better use of existing facilities, and removing operational bottlenecks.

These efforts align with MoPMR’s five-year plan to ensure sustainable production and maximize the value of available resources and capabilities.

The meeting was attended by Salah Abdel Karim, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC); Ahmed Randy Shaker, Undersecretary for Central Communication; Mahmoud Nagi, Undersecretary of the Ministry overseeing Safety, Environment, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Affairs; Moataz Atef, Undersecretary of the Minister’s Technical Office and Official Spokesperson; and Ishaq Saad, Executive Board Member of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) representing Egypt.

In March, Apache and EGPC made a new natural gas discovery in the Western Desert after drilling the SKAL-1X exploratory well in South Kalabsha. Preliminary tests show daily production of about 26 million cubic feet of natural gas and 2,700 barrels of condensate.

Apache, active in Egypt since the mid-1990s, is a leading Western Desert producer through its joint venture with EGPC and Khalda Petroleum.