Eni hopes for second Egypt gas bonanza

With production from the vast Zohr offshore gasfield rising fast, Eni is to start exploring another potential play

The discovery of Zohr in 2015, with at least 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place, changed the complexion of Egypt's energy sector. The field was brought on stream at record speed, and production from the offshore giant is helping to transform the country's gas profile. Output is set to reach 2.7bn cubic feet a day by 2020. Not so long ago, nothing like this seemed possible. In the political and economic chaos created by the 2011 popular uprising and toppling of the country's president, Egypt was forced to divert supplies away from its two liquefied natural gas plants, at Idku and Damietta, to meet the demands of the domestic market. Exports stopped, and Egypt even became an import