Egypt announces new oil, gas finds in Western Desert, Gulf of Suez

CAIRO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said on Tuesday that three new oil and gas discoveries had been made in the Western Desert and the Gulf of Suez.

One well in the Western Desert showed gas-bearing zones with 253 feet (about 77.1 meters) of net thickness and an estimated 12.5 million barrels of oil equivalent. Testing is underway, alongside plans for a 10-million-U.S.-dollar, 23-km pipeline extension and additional drilling aimed at boosting gas output to 30 million cubic feet per day.