Arab Finance: Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi met with a delegation from Italian energy company Eni to discuss accelerating development of the Denise gas field in the Mediterranean, increasing production, and expanding exploration in Egypt, according to a ministry statement.

Badawi called for closer coordination among the parties involved and clear timelines to bring the field into production sooner.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the Meleiha plant in the Western Desert, where construction is nearing completion ahead of startup. Badawi said the project is a priority because it could bring gas from newly discovered wells in the area into production.

The two sides examined plans to connect the Cronos gas field off Cyprus to Egyptian infrastructure after the partners made their final investment decision.

Badawi reaffirmed the ministry’s support for completing the necessary procedures and accelerating work to bring the field’s gas into use, strengthen gas cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus, and make greater use of Egypt’s infrastructure.

Eni officials reaffirmed the company’s commitment to advancing its ongoing projects, increasing exploration and production, and assessing new opportunities in Egypt’s oil and gas sector.

It is worth noting that Badawi recently discussed accelerating the agreements needed to connect Cyprus’s Aphrodite gas field to Egyptian infrastructure with Chevron’s President of Base Assets and Emerging Countries Javier La Rosa, as both reviewed the company’s activities in Egypt and opportunities to expand natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean.