Egypt and Cyprus to boost Eastern Med gas ties

Lebanese people sit in boats in the Mediterranean sea as the Tungsten Explorer, a drillship to explore for oil and gas off the coast of Lebanon, is seen in the background in Dbayeh north of the capital Beirut. (File/AFP)

• The two countries also progressed talks to build a marine pipeline
• The pair agreed to hold a further meeting within the next two weeks

CAIRO: Egypt and Cyprus plan to boost cooperation in developing gas infrastructure in the Easter Mediterranean.
Egypt’s petroleum and mineral resources minister Tariq Al-Mulla on Wednesday discussed plans to convert the East Mediterranean Gas Forum to an intergovernmental organization with Cyprus’s Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides.
The pair agreed to hold a further meeting within the next two weeks to complete the procedures for the forum.
The two countries also progressed talks to build a marine pipeline between the two countries to transfer natural gas from the Aphrodite gas field of Cyprus and re-export it through Egypt.
A 2010 study by the United States Geological Survey estimated the volume of gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean basin to be about 345 trillion cubic feet of gas. This basin also contains some 3.4 billion barrels of oil, along with large quantities of gas liquids.