Egypt’s giant Zohr gas field may start production in 2017.

Egypt’s giant Zohr gas field aims to start output in 2017

Italian energy giant Eni on Sunday announced the discovery of the "largest ever" offshore natural gas field in the Mediterranean, in Egypt's territorial waters.
The discovery could hold a potential 30 trillion cubic feet (850 billion cubic metres) of gas in an area of about 100 square kilometres (40 square miles), Eni said in a statement.

The so-called Zohr project is "the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea," it said, adding the find would meet Egypt's own natural gas demands for decades.

The discovery well, Zohr 1X NFW, is in 4757ft (1450m) water depth, was drilled in the Shorouk Block (Block 9), which was awarded to Eni in 2014, by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. Block 9 is deep offshore and close to Cypriot waters.

Eni says it will now appraise the field with the aim of accelerating a fast track development of the discovery that will use at best the existing offshore and onshore infrastructure.

Zohr 1X NFW was drilled to a total depth of approximately 13,553ft (4131m) and hit 2067ft (630m) of hydrocarbon column in a carbonate sequence of Miocene age with excellent reservoir characteristics (400m+ of net pay). Zohr’s structure has also a deeper Cretaceous upside that will be targeted in the future with adedicated well.(Source:Reuters  and Eni.)