History of Petroleum Exploration in Egypt
The petroleum industry in Egypt has historical roots dating back to the time of the Pharaohs. Paintings on temple walls depict the Pharaohs using crude oil as fuel for lighting oil lamps.
However, the first geological survey in Egypt was not conducted until the 19th century, by a French naval officer in 1835.
Egypt is considered one of the first countries in the world to achieve leadership in various stages of the petroleum industry. The government began drilling the first well in the Gamasa area on January 8, 1886, and commercial production from the field began in 1910.
Subsequent petroleum discoveries in Egypt followed, including:
• In 1961, the first offshore oil field in Egypt and the Middle East, “Balayim Bahri,” was discovered.
• In 1965, the oldest and largest oil field, “El Morgan,” was discovered, and production began in 1967.
• In 1963, the search for natural gas began in Egypt, and the first natural gas discovery was made in 1967 in the Delta region, the “Abu Madi” field.
• In 1969, the first natural gas discovery was made in the Mediterranean Sea, the Abu Qir field.
• In the same year, 1969, the first natural gas discovery was made in the Western Desert, the Abu Gharadig field. Exploration and research operations continued in various regions using the latest technological methods.
• Egypt was the first Arab country to establish a refining industry. In 1911, the first petroleum refinery in Egypt was established by the Anglo-Egyptian Oil Wells Company (currently El Nasr Petroleum) in Suez. It began operating in 1913.
• In 1922, construction began on the government-owned petroleum refinery in Suez, which became operational in 1923.
• In line with the policy of geographically dispersing refineries and preventing their concentration in the Suez region, the Cairo Petroleum Refinery was established in 1969, the Amriya Petroleum Refinery in 1972, and the Tanta Refinery in 1973.
