Arab Finance: Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and Chevron’s President of Base Assets and Emerging Countries Javier La Rosa discussed accelerating the agreements needed to connect Cyprus’s Aphrodite gas field to Egyptian infrastructure, the Egyptian ministry stated.

In a videoconference with Chevron executives, the officials also reviewed the company’s activities in Egypt and opportunities to expand natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean.

Badawi called for closer coordination among the parties to finalize the project’s technical, financial and commercial frameworks, along with its timetable.

Completing those steps would allow the agreements to be concluded and the project to move toward implementation, using Egypt’s infrastructure to process and handle gas from the Eastern Mediterranean. He said gas cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus has high-level political support.

The talks also covered Chevron’s plans to expand exploration in Egypt, including opportunities in the Western Mediterranean. Badawi said the ministry is working to support international companies’ exploration investments, while further cooperation on exploration and production could help increase drilling, deliver discoveries and raise domestic gas output.

La Rosa reaffirmed Chevron’s commitment to its activities and investments in Egypt and to cooperation with the ministry and its partners. He welcomed the ministry’s efforts to advance joint projects and said the company remained committed to the targeted programs and schedules.