Egypt’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry aims to export about 22 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas to Lebanon and European countries in January and February, a ministry source told Al Manassa.
The move comes as the ministry seeks to boost exports after achieving savings of about 130 million cubic feet of gas per day due to lower winter consumption and the start of production in new concession areas in the Red Sea and the Western Desert, the source said.
That has prompted the ministry to delay shipments it had planned to import, according to the source, who asked not to be named.
In October, the government began exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Shell Global, as the cargo vessel New Nature departed the Idku port for Italy carrying about 155,000 cubic meters.
The source said the targeted volumes include exporting about 400,000 to 450,000 cubic meters per month as LNG to European markets, equivalent to 9 bcf of natural gas, with the value of the shipments deducted from the government’s accumulated dues to foreign partners.
Exports to Lebanon via Arab Gas pipeline
The remaining volumes, about 2 billion cubic feet per month, will be exported as natural gas to Lebanon via the Arab Gas Pipeline, under a MoU between the two countries on natural gas signed last Monday.
The source expected total LNG shipments exported to Europe on behalf of foreign partners to reach 11 cargoes by the end of January, worth $400–480 million. Exports are set to continue as there are plans to increase production through May, given the approach of summer and higher domestic consumption.
Egypt’s natural gas output has declined since 2023, reducing supply below domestic demand and contributing to repeated power outages and lower production in some industrial activities.
QatarEnergy summer 2026 LNG supply
Separately, QatarEnergy announced it would supply Egypt with up to 24 LNG cargoes during the summer of 2026, according to a company statement. The statement followed the signing Sunday by EGAS and QatarEnergy of the terms of an executive mechanism for delivering Qatari gas cargoes at Sokhna and Damietta ports.
Last month, a source familiar with the petroleum ministry’s import file told Al Manassa that advanced talks were underway with several partners, led by Qatar, to contract LNG imports to meet domestic natural gas needs in 2026.
The value of LNG imports rose to about $7.2 billion in the first 10 months of 2025, compared with $3.85 billion in the same period of 2024, an 87% increase, driven by a doubling in the number of imported cargoes to about 18 per month at the peak of summer, compared with five to seven cargoes in the summer of 2024.
