Egypt prepares for largest-ever hydraulic fracturing operation in its oil and gas history to revive gas output

Dubai: Egypt's Badr El Din Petroleum Company (Bapetco) is preparing to carry out the largest multistage hydraulic fracturing operation in the country's oil and gas history, targeting the Obaiyed H18 horizontal well in the Western Desert as Cairo steps up efforts to reverse declining natural gas production and strengthen domestic energy supplies.

The project, to be executed by US oilfield services company Halliburton, forms part of a five-year strategy by Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources to maximise existing infrastructure, deploy advanced extraction technologies and restore production from gas reservoirs experiencing natural decline.

The operation will target the Obaiyed H18 well, drilled in 2019 to a total depth of approximately 5,630 metres, with a horizontal section extending more than 1,600 metres through gas-bearing formations, according to a statement by the ministry.

The project aims to improve reservoir permeability and increase the contact area between the well and the gas-bearing formations, allowing natural gas to flow more efficiently and potentially boosting production.

Bapetco presented a technical study and execution plan developed over several months, outlining the procedures required to carry out the complex stimulation operation.

The project will be implemented in three main phases, beginning with well preparation using a drilling rig, followed by six consecutive hydraulic fracturing stages employing rigless technology, which allows the stimulation process to proceed without a drilling rig.

The final phase will involve well completion and the resumption of production using specialised well-servicing equipment.

Halliburton has completed the mobilisation of specialised equipment to the well site, including 18 high-pressure pumps with a combined hydraulic capacity exceeding 40,000 horsepower, ahead of operations expected to begin in the coming days.

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, involves injecting fluids under high pressure into underground rock formations to create fractures that improve the flow of trapped natural gas into production wells.

Egypt's Petroleum Ministry is banking on the project's success to pave the way for applying similar techniques to other horizontal wells, potentially unlocking additional gas resources and recovering production from ageing reservoirs.

The initiative reflects Egypt's broader push to optimise existing oil and gas assets, improve recovery rates and strengthen domestic natural gas supplies to support the country's energy requirements and economic activity.