Egypt Drilling: Orion Flops As Shell Kicks Off Six-Well WDDM Campaign

Egypt’s best hope of a substantial 2024 gas discovery has been dashed. MEES understands that Eni’s Orion-1X well on the Northeast Hap’y block north of Sinai has delivered a duster.

This contrasts with the pre-drill mean resource estimate of 8tcf given by Eni’s junior partner Energean which said the primary target was a carbonate build-up in the Cretaceous in line with Eni’s landmark 2015 Zohr discovery 90km further offshore.

Eni’s highly-anticipated Orion wildcat off Egypt’s Sinai has turned up dry. Hopes of a major 2024 find now rest on Shell’s ongoing Khufu, whilst the major this week kicked off development drilling at WDDM.