Oil giant Shell plans to advance with the development of the Mina West gas project in Egypt's Mediterranean Sea.
In the Mediterranean waters off Egypt, Shell's Mina West offshore natural gas field development has reached a significant milestone with the recent Final Investment Decision (FID) announcement in late July 2025. Located in the Northeast El Amriya concession, this project will be developed as a subsea tie-back to existing infrastructure in the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) area.
The Mina West project is anticipated to make a substantial contribution to Egypt’s domestic gas supply, enhancing the country’s energy security and meeting the demand across various sectors. The development aligns with Egypt’s broader strategy to boost natural gas production, diversify supply sources, and stabilize the national gas grid through both domestic field developments and infrastructure expansions.
Although a specific startup production date for Mina West gas has not been publicly detailed, the rapid progress and accelerated pace seen in nearby WDDM projects suggest that Mina West could follow a similar development pace given its integration with existing infrastructure.
Shell, with partners including KUFPEC, holds a 60% operating stake in Mina West, with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company owning the remaining 40%. The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company is also involved in the development of Mina West.
Contrary to some speculation, the Mina West project does not imply a merger between Shell and BP in the near future. Nor is it a decision regarding a potential merger between Shell and BP in 2025. Shell (NYSE:SHEL) is the company involved in the development of the Mina West offshore natural gas field.
The Mina West natural gas field contains an estimated 500 billion cubic feet (cf) of gas. This development is expected to accelerate production at lower emissions intensity, helping Egypt reduce its dependence on liquefied natural gas imports and declining production from legacy fields.
In conclusion, Shell’s Mina West field development is at an early but decisive stage and is expected to contribute significantly to Egypt's natural gas production in the near future, supporting electricity and industrial sectors by adding reliable offshore gas supply tied into existing Mediterranean assets.
Investors in the oil-and-gas industry may find the Mina West offshore natural gas field development by Shell an attractive investment opportunity, given its potential to boost domestic gas supply in Egypt and meet demand across various sectors. The energy sector, particularly in Egypt, could benefit from the anticipated lower emissions intensity of the Mina West production, as it could help reduce the country's dependence on liquefied natural gas imports and declining production from legacy fields.
