Shell Detects Gas Indications in Sirius-1X Well Offshore Egypt

Energy major Shell has encountered signs of natural gas while drilling an exploration well in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Egypt, according to a March 9 statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The indications come from the Sirius-1X exploration well in the North East El-Ameriya Block, located off the country’s northern coastline. Drilling reached a depth of roughly 2,115 metres.

Preliminary Technical Findings

Early technical assessments suggest the presence of natural gas within the Sirius geological formation. Engineers identified the signals while analysing rock characteristics recorded during drilling. Officials said the initial data suggests potential gas presence, though further analysis will determine the scale of the resource..

Technical teams will now examine the data collected from the well in greater detail. The work will focus on determining whether commercially viable volumes of gas are present and what development options could follow if the discovery proves significant.

Potential Development and Wider Exploration

According to the ministry, results from Sirius-1X could feed into plans to expand gas output in the area. Authorities indicated that a preliminary development decision might emerge around 2027, potentially alongside the Mina West Project. No estimate of gas volumes linked to the well has been released.

The drilling result comes as exploration activity intensifies across Egypt’s oil and gas sector. Several recent discoveries have been reported in the Western Desert, one of the country’s most active hydrocarbon basins.

Earlier this year, the ministry confirmed new oil and gas finds following drilling campaigns carried out by multiple operators in the region. Separately, the state-owned General Petroleum Company reported the discovery of the Badr-15 field, according to information cited by Ecofin Agency.

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