Eni has signed a major contract with Egypt and Cyprus governments for the export and development of gas from Cyprus’ Cronos Block 6. This deal will use Egypt’s existing infrastructure to process and ship the gas, turning Cyprus into a leading gas producer and exporter in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In Cairo, during the opening ceremony of EGYPES, Egypt’s most prominent energy event, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum Karim Badawi, Cyprus’ Minister of Energy George Papanastasiou, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, and TotalEnergies representatives signed the agreement.
Building a Gas Hub in the Eastern Mediterranean
The transaction is a major benchmark for Egypt and Cyprus to develop an Eastern Mediterranean gas hub. The transaction converts Cyprus into a producer and exporter of gas by utilizing Egypt’s hydrocarbon infrastructure. The model set out in the deal will accelerate the development of the discovery of Cronos gas in Cyprus. Additionally, Eni will ship the gas from Cronos Block 6 to Zohr for processing, liquefy it at Damietta, and export it.
Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, said, “This agreement paves the way to bring Cyprus’ gas to the market in a timely fashion, contributing to energy security and competitiveness of energy supply.”
He added, “This project leverages Egypt’s existing infrastructure, including export facilities, which are a key enabler for developments in the Region. Egypt and Cyprus reaffirm their roles in the emerging energy hub of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is set to play an increasing role in the global gas supply in the near future”.
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Cronos Block 6 Gas Reserves
Explorers discovered the Cronos gas field in 2022 and, in 2024, appraised it to hold over 3 trillion cubic feet of gas. Block 6 holds additional resources under exploration, including the Zeus discovery made in 2022, alongside the Cronos reserves. Eni started production in Cyprus in 2013 and holds a 50% stake in Block 6 and interest in Blocks 7, 8, and 11.
Eni has a long-standing presence in Egypt, with operations dating back to 1954. It is Egypt’s biggest oil and gas producer, producing around 280,000 barrels of equity production per day in 2024. Furthermore, through its subsidiary, IEOC, the company operates in Egypt and has a 50% stake in the Damietta LNG plant.