Adnoc Drilling is exploring an Egypt partnership that would put the Abu Dhabi driller inside Cairo’s five-year plan to raise domestic oil and gas production. Abdullah Ateya Al Messabi, the company’s chief executive, met Egyptian Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi to discuss the scope of potential collaboration.
The discussions covered Adnoc Drilling’s possible role in Egypt’s onshore and offshore drilling programme, with both sides agreeing to hold specialised technical meetings to identify specific areas of participation.
Egypt’s five-year drilling plan
Badawi said increasing drilling activity is a central pillar of the ministry’s five-year strategy to grow domestic crude oil and natural gas output. The plan rests on intensifying exploration, accelerating the development of discoveries, and raising well-drilling rates.
According to the Egypt Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the strategy includes expanding horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. New contractual frameworks tied to performance levels and the adoption of modern technology are also part of the package.
Salah Abdel Karim, chief executive of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), presented those details to investment partners at a meeting on 2 March 2026. EGPC sits at the centre of Egypt’s upstream sector, with 41 joint-venture companies and 87 investment law companies affiliated to it alongside 12 public sector companies, according to EGPC.
Badawi told Al Messabi that Egypt’s drilling and development opportunities create scope for new partnerships with international and regional drilling-services companies. He underlined Adnoc Drilling’s technical capabilities and said Egypt intends to leverage that expertise.
Adnoc Drilling Egypt partnership: the EGPC angle
Al Messabi said Adnoc Drilling wants to strengthen its presence in Egypt and build partnerships with EGPC and its subsidiaries. He stressed the importance of cooperation with the Egyptian Drilling Company (EDC), citing its record in drilling oil and gas wells both in Egypt and overseas.
Adnoc Drilling is a listed subsidiary of ADNOC Group, the UAE’s state-owned energy company. It provides drilling and well-services solutions for onshore and offshore operations across the region.
The scale of investment Egypt is seeking from the sector is substantial. Egypt Oil & Gas reported that Agiba Petroleum Company, a joint venture between EGPC and Eni’s subsidiary IEOC Production BV, targets investments of approximately $509 million in FY 2026/2027, aiming for a daily production rate of 38,000 barrels of petroleum and 125 mmcf of natural gas, according to Egypt Oil & Gas.
Separately, the EGPC is preparing a new incentive scheme to encourage investment in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies, and the ministry has finalised modern contractual systems with service and drilling companies, Egypt Oil & Gas reported.
The two sides will hold specialised technical meetings in the coming period to determine where Adnoc Drilling can participate in the targeted drilling programme.
