Egypt has received bids from seven international firms
Egypt celebrates licensing round success
North African country find takers for eight blocks
Egypt’s latest licensing round saw seven international firms stump up $23.7mn in signature bonuses to license eight blocks across the country. The results look encouraging compared with the challenges many upstream nations have faced during a prolonged exploration slump. Four blocks onshore in the Western Desert, two off Egypt’s northern Mediterranean cost and two on the Gulf of Suez in the country’s southeast attracted bidders. Itay’s Eni was most active, securing three blocks as a sole bidder, one in partnership with BP and another with US independent Apex International. China’s Hong Kong-listed United Energy Group secured one of the remaining awards, as did the overseas arm of Chile’s Ena
Also in this section
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
