An official at the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) stated that the ministry has reached an agreement with Italy’s Eni to start drilling the sixth and last gas well in the Zohr field in the Mediterranean Sea in January 2017, as the drilling of the fifth well has been completed, Egypt Oil&Gas reported.

The ministry’s official added in a statement for Egypt Oil&Gas that “the Ministry requested a weekly report [from Eni] about the status of the huge field to present to the President, as the first phase of the Zohr national project included the drilling of six wells.”

He added that the Zohr gas field, with estimated 32tcf, is one of the most important gas fields through which Egypt is expected to achieve self-sufficiency. The fields are estimated to boost gas production to 5.5 bcf/d.