Zohr

Location and Geology

The Zohr gas field is situated within the 3,752km² Shorouk Block, which is part of the Egyptian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Mediterranean Sea. It is approximately 150-190 kilometers north of Port Said.

The field is characterized as a Lower-Middle Miocene Carbonate reservoir, hosting a biogenic gas accumulation within a tertiary source rock, sealed by the Messinian Evaporitic complex (also known as the Rosetta Formation).

Discovery and Appraisal

The Zohr field was discovered in August 2015 by drilling the Zohr 1X NFW well at a water depth of approximately 1,450 meters. The exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 4,131 meters and encountered a 630-meter hydrocarbon column.

The field was appraised in February 2016 with the Zohr 2X appraisal well, which was drilled approximately 1.5 kilometers south-east of the exploration well. This well encountered a 455-meter continuous hydrocarbon column and produced about 44 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of gas during the production test.

Reserves and Production

The Zohr field is estimated to hold approximately 30 trillion cubic feet of lean gas, making it the largest natural gas discovery in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

Production began in December 2017, just under two and a half years after the discovery, which is a record time for a deepwater field of this size. Initial production was around 350 million cubic feet per day, increasing to 1 billion cubic feet per day, and eventually reaching its peak production capacity of 2.7 billion cubic feet per day by August 2019.

Development and Infrastructure

The development of the Zohr field involved several phases:

• Phase I: Included the development of six production wells to produce an initial 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day. This phase also involved the construction and installation of an offshore control and production platform connected to an onshore processing plant via subsea pipelines.
• Full Field Development: The plan entails the drilling of 254 wells over the field’s production life. Additional infrastructure includes eight land-based treatment units and systems for treatment and removal of sulphur. A second 30-inch gas pipeline, extending up to 216 kilometers, connects the underwater production installations to the land-based treatment plant.

Contractors and Partners

Several companies were involved in the development of the Zohr field:

• Eni: The operator and majority stakeholder with a 60% stake. Eni was responsible for the overall project management and brought the field into production using its Dual Exploration Model.
• Rosneft: Holds a 30% stake in the Shorouk Block.
• BP: Holds a 10% stake in the Shorouk Block.
• Petrobel: A joint venture between Eni and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), acted as the main contractor for the second phase of the project.
• Saipem: Responsible for the entire EPCI (engineering, procurement, construction, and installation) development of the field, including the deployment of several vessels and equipment.
• One Subsea: Performed the front-end engineering design (FEED) study and was retained for the EPC contract for the project’s first phase.
• Aker Solutions: Supplied steel tube umbilicals connecting the subsea wells to the offshore platform.
• Salzgitter Mannesmann International and EUROPIPE: Supplied pipelines for the project.
• Bonatti International, Spina, PJ Valves, and others: Contributed to various aspects such as electrical and instrumentation works, industrial plant engineering, and valve manufacturing.

Economic and Energy Impact

The Zohr field has significant economic and energy implications for Egypt:

• Energy Self-Sufficiency: The field is expected to meet a substantial portion of Egypt’s natural gas demand for decades, transforming Egypt from a natural gas importer to an exporter.
• Economic Growth: The project has contributed to the rebuilding of Egypt’s economy, particularly after the 2011 Egyptian revolution. It has also increased foreign investment and supported the country's energy sector.
• Regional Energy Hub: The Zohr field could make Egypt a regional energy hub, contributing to the geopolitical and energy stability of the Mediterranean area.

Technological and Operational Achievements

The development of the Zohr field was marked by several technological and operational achievements:

• Record Time to Market: The field began production in less than two and a half years after its discovery, a record for a deepwater field of this size.
• Complex Geology: The project involved overcoming complex seabed contours and deepwater challenges, requiring innovative solutions such as large valves and new connector concepts.
• Collaboration and Local Content: The project involved extensive collaboration between international companies and local Egyptian staff, enhancing their skill sets and contributing to the local content of the project.