Italian firm Eni’s giant 24 tcf Zohr field in the Egyptian deepwater Mediterranean came online this week. It holds out the prospect of Egyptian energy independence after three years of LNG imports.

Egypt’s oil ministry, in a 10 December statement, says that pipeline testing for Zohr is currently underway with gas being pumped to the national distribution network.

The start of 350mn cfd Phase-1 Zohr output takes to 650mn cfd the incremental gains in Egyptian production since the...