He was received at the Qatari Ministry of Energy headquarters by Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Managing Director and CEO of QatarEnergy, and senior officials of the Qatari Ministry of Energy and QatarEnergy, including Jassim Mohammed Al-Marzouqi, Vice President for Commercial Affairs and Business Development at QatarEnergy, and Abdullah Ahmed Al-Husseini, Vice President for Marketing at QatarEnergy.
The two delegations discussed expediting the implementation
of joint natural gas projects and the signing of long-term Qatari gas supply
contracts to secure local needs. Enhanced energy infrastructure integration and
the pursuit of mutual interests in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading,
marketing, liquefaction, and regasification were also addressed.
The delegations also discussed enhancing cooperation in
research and exploration and increasing production rates from QatarEnergy's
concession areas in Egypt, highlighting QatarEnergy's key role in the Egypt
Exploration and Production Gateway (EUG). The status of QatarEnergy's drilling
plans, specifically the Nefertari, Cairo, Masry, and North Marakia wells in the
Mediterranean region (a joint venture with ExxonMobil), was also addressed.
For his part, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi expressed QatarEnergy's
desire to expand its business and increase its investments in research and
exploration in Egypt, which recently appeared in the completion of the
agreement between QatarEnergy and EGAS and Chevron for QatarEnergy to acquire
part of Chevron's share in the North Dabaa offshore concession area.
Engineer Karim Badawy also presented the available
investment opportunities in petroleum, gas, and value-added petrochemicals for
potential Qatari participation.
The two sides explored avenues to increase the involvement
of specialized Egyptian companies in the design, implementation, maintenance,
and operation of Qatari energy projects. Emphasis was placed on providing the
necessary support and facilities for these companies, leveraging their
extensive experience in various energy sectors to contribute to infrastructure
and oil, gas, and renewable energy projects in Qatar.
The delegations also discussed opportunities for regional
cooperation within the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), given their shared
membership and coordinated approach to priority issues on the forum's agenda.
This aligns with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources' aim to
maximize the benefits of its participation in international and regional energy
organizations to serve Egypt's energy strategy and enhance energy security.
It is noteworthy that GECF, headquartered in Qatar, holds a prominent position in global energy markets and among international energy organizations, with its member states collectively possessing approximately 70% of global gas reserves.