Egypt: BP makes second East Mediterranean gas find

BP Egypt has announced a second gas discovery in the North Damietta Offshore concession in the East Nile Delta. BP said on 9 March the Atoll-1 deep-water exploration well, drilled by the semi-submersible rig Maersk Discoverer, had reached 6,400 metres depth and penetrated 50 metres of gas pay in high-quality Oligocene sandstones. Expected to be the deepest well ever drilled in Egypt, the Atoll well still has another 1km to drill to test the same reservoir section found to be gas bearing in the 2013 Salamat discovery, 15km to the south.