During the CeraWeek 2025 global energy conference held from March 10 to March 14, 2025, in Houston, Texas, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi engaged with industry leaders to discuss strategies for enhancing oil and gas production, demonstrating Egypt's continued commitment to international collaboration.
At the conference, Badawi met with Linda Cook, CEO of Harbor Energy, to explore opportunities for joint cooperation in research and exploration, particularly focusing on plans to increase natural gas production from areas allocated to the company within Egypt. Key conversations centered around upcoming drilling activities, including recent successes off the Mediterranean coast near Alexandria.
Harbor Energy's investment in Egypt, particularly as it partners with British Petroleum (BP), highlights the mutual goal of accelerating development operations for new discoveries. "We aim to reduce costs and shorten the time to put discoveries on production," Badawi said, underscoring the commitment of the Egyptian government to refining its operational efficiency. The focus was also on quickly linking these new discoveries to existing facilities to maximize utilization and support the local natural gas output.
The discussions also addressed significant developments underway at the Raven field, where joint efforts with BP continue to demonstrate fruitful results. Badawi expressed enthusiasm for Harbor Energy's intentions to increase its investment footprint within Egypt, aligning with the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum's long-term strategy to reinforce local production levels and achieve energy self-sufficiency.
Previously, Badawi had held discussions with Jeff Miller, CEO of Halliburton—a major player in oil field services—during the same conference. They reviewed Halliburton’s extensive portfolio and initiatives within the Egyptian market, which are geared toward enhancing efficiency and boosting production rates under various projects. "The company seeks to increase its investments and expand its business in Egypt during the coming stage," said Miller, reinforcing Halliburton’s strategic interest and their commitment to supporting Egypt’s energy sector with comprehensive technical support.
During their meeting, the pair explored topics such as improving drilling operations and implementing advanced technologies to manage aging fields. The priority remains clear for the Ministry of Petroleum: increasing production and tapping unconventional oil and gas sources.
On the subject of capacity building, Badawi emphasized preparing Egypt’s workforce through training and workshops conducted by international experts. "We are committed to providing all necessary facilities to support investors and international companies," he noted, indicating the ministry’s openness to collaborative training programs aimed at enhancing local expertise.
Both meetings signify Egypt’s strategic relationships with companies like Halliburton and Harbor Energy, which are seen as integral to boosting production efforts amid growing global energy demands. The Egyptian government’s proactive approach and the establishment of favorable investment conditions are expected to facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes, yielding significant advantages for the national energy sector.
Overall, the interactions at CeraWeek 2025 reflect Egypt’s ambitions not only to attract foreign investment but also to optimize its own resources, aiming to provide sustainable solutions for its energy sector and position itself as a key player on the global stage.