Egypt, TotalEnergies Sign MoU to Expand West Mediterranean Gas Exploration

Egypt has signed a memorandum of understanding between the petroleum sector and France’s TotalEnergies to cooperate on natural gas exploration activities across a wide area in the West Mediterranean, in a step aimed at boosting upstream investment and supporting future discoveries.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, along with Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi, senior executives from TotalEnergies, and officials from the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), including Managing Director Saeed Salem.

The agreement sets out a framework for technical cooperation, including preliminary geological studies and subsurface evaluation across a large offshore area in the Mediterranean Sea. No drilling commitments or financial terms were disclosed.

“This agreement will support the assessment of Egypt’s deep offshore exploration potential,” said Nicola Mavilla, Senior Vice President for Exploration at TotalEnergies.

The MoU was signed by EGAS CEO Sayed Salem and TotalEnergies Egypt and Cyprus General Manager Pascal Breant, in the presence of senior exploration officials from the French company covering the Middle East, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Prime Minister Madbouly reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting investment in oil and gas exploration. He said Egypt’s engagement with global energy companies reflects strong confidence in the country’s investment climate and reform agenda.

Minister Karim Badawi said the deal follows extensive discussions with TotalEnergies leadership and reflects renewed interest in expanding the company’s exploration footprint in Egypt, supported by recent reforms and improved investment conditions in the sector.

Badawi noted that the Mediterranean remains a top priority for exploration due to its promising potential, alongside Egypt’s strong infrastructure base and accumulated expertise, which continue to support its position as a regional energy hub.

Egypt has increasingly relied on international energy companies to unlock new gas resources in the Mediterranean after output from mature fields began to decline. The country, once positioned as a growing liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter following the 2015 discovery of the Zohr field by Eni, has in recent years faced tighter supply conditions and rising seasonal demand.

The deal comes amid renewed exploration activity across the Eastern Mediterranean, where majors including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and BP have expanded upstream programmes. Cairo has also introduced incentives aimed at accelerating exploration and production, particularly in offshore deepwater acreage that requires higher capital investment.