President El-Sisi reviews plans to boost oil and gas output using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing

CAIRO - 11 MARCH 2026: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met today, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi to review the government s push to raise domestic oil and gas production, with a focus on newer extraction techniques. 

Presidential spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said the meeting followed the implementation status of efforts to develop the work of Egyptian petroleum companies, aiming to increase output through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

During the briefing, Badawi said the petroleum sector is accelerating the rollout of these technologies to reach oil and gas resources that are difficult to develop using conventional methods.

The objective, he said, is to unlock harder-to-access reserves and deliver a noticeable lift in crude oil and natural gas production rates.

The discussion comes as Egypt continues to prioritize energy security and stable supply, with policymakers looking for faster, scalable ways to increase production from existing fields and prospects, while improving recovery rates where traditional drilling has reached its limits.