PetroNefertiti Discovers New Oil and Gas Reservoirs in Egypt’s Eastern Desert as Production Growth Drive Accelerates
PetroNefertiti has announced the discovery of new oil and gas-bearing reservoirs in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, providing a boost to the country’s efforts to increase hydrocarbon production and strengthen energy security.
The discovery was made at the Lorcan-6 exploration well in the North Zeit Bay area, where production tests delivered encouraging results of 1,500 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 8 million standard cubic feet of associated gas per day.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum, the well is expected to be tied into existing production facilities once testing activities and the required technical work have been completed, enabling the newly discovered resources to be brought into production.
Lorcan-6 forms part of Egypt’s wider exploration strategy aimed at reversing production declines and unlocking new reserves.
The well is among 101 exploration wells scheduled for drilling in 2026 under the Ministry of Petroleum’s $1.3 billion exploration programme. Five of those wells are planned in the Eastern Desert, one of the country’s most established oil-producing regions.
The discovery comes as Egypt pursues ambitious targets to expand domestic hydrocarbon output.
The government aims to increase crude oil and condensate production to 750,000 barrels per day by 2030, representing a 42% increase from the 527,000 barrels per day recorded in September 2026.
PetroNefertiti is a joint venture between Egypt’s state-owned Ganoub El Wadi Petroleum Holding Company (Ganope) and South Korea’s Dana Petroleum.
The latest discovery highlights the continued prospectivity of Egypt’s mature producing basins and the role of targeted exploration in supporting the country’s long-term energy development objectives.
As Egypt seeks to attract new investment into its upstream sector, discoveries such as Lorcan-6 are expected to play an important role in expanding reserves, sustaining production and meeting rising domestic energy demand.
