Author: Rigs & Barge World

Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA), held a number of meetings with international investors showing interest in investing in the Egyptian mining sector. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the 4th edition of the Egypt Mining Forum. Ramadan received a delegation from the Saudi Al Haytham Mining Company. The meeting witnessed discussions on ways to enhance joint cooperation and review the investment opportunities offered by the Egyptian mining sector. The two sides also discussed ways to exchange technical expertise to contribute to raising the efficiency of mining operations and achieving added value…

Libya has extended the deadline for firms to submit bids for acreage through its licensing round amid huge IOC interest. After 100 international firms expressed interest in the 22 blocks on offer (MEES, 14 March), 44 have been qualified by Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), an official at the firm says. NOC had initially set a deadline of mid-November for firms submitting bids, but this is now being pushed back into early 2026, with IOCs requesting more time to study the Virtual Data Room. Libya’s first post-revolution licensing round has seen several delays over political and security issues in the…

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is set to implement a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system to regularly track flaring, fugitive methane, and vented methane emissions at the operator or project level, according to International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Egypt Country Report No. 25/186 of July 2025. Furthermore, a forthcoming decree will require operating companies to submit emission reduction targets for approval, in line with Egypt’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Companies that fail to comply will face fines after a two-year grace period. Earlier in July 2025, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ratified Decree No. 31 of 2025, which…

The Chairman of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA), Yasser Ramadan, announced that the Authority will finalize and launch its new mining geoportal by the end of the year. The move supports EMRA’s transformation into an economic body, with a dedicated digital platform that provides investors with the up-to-date geological data they need to make informed investment decisions in Egypt. “We needed to think like an investor. So we had to ask: what does an investor need? An investor needs clarity, stability, and a huge amount of data. Data is crucial for making a decision to invest,” said Ramadan. “Our…

BP signed a wide-ranging MoU with Liby’a National Oil Corporation (NOC) this week which could pave the way for a major increase in the firm’s operations in the country. It has been decades since BP had a significant presence in Libya, but last year it kick-started a long-delayed exploration drilling campaign and it now sees the country’s under-developed hydrocarbon resources as a route to accelerating its renewed upstream investment strategy (MEES, 28 February). In an 8 July announcement, BP says the MoU is “to evaluate redevelopment opportunities in the mature giant Sarir and Messla oilfields in Libya’s Sirte basin, including…

The Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority(EMRA) and Aton Resources Company have signed a preliminary deal to amend the Abu Marawat Concession agreement. This came in the presence of the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi, on the sidelines of the Egypt Mining Forum held during the period between 15- 16 July.  The agreement was signed between the Head of the Central Administration for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Mohamed El Bagoury, the Chairman of EMRA, Yasser Ramadan and the CEO of Aton, Tonno Vahk. Aton Resources is a well-established mining company in Egypt, known…

Investors and mining executives on the second day of the Egypt Mining Forum said that recent government reforms are improving the country’s appeal as a mining destination, citing a better risk-reward balance and increasing openness to foreign investment. Speaking at one of the panel discussions on the second day of the forum, Mostafa Talaat, CEO of Egypt-based junior exploration firm ANKH Resources, praised the Cabinet’s efforts to foster transparency and open dialogue, saying these measures are encouraging companies to grow. “Transparency, an open dialogue, and global calls for investment, along with a spirit of working hand in hand, are all…

Italy’s Eni has signed a contract with Algerian state firm Sonatrach to explore for hydrocarbons in the Zemoul El Kbar contractual perimeter in the Berkine Basin, with an overall investment of $1.35bn, both firms announced on 7 July. The announcement followed a meeting in Algiers between Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as well as oil minister Mohamed Arkab and Sonatrach chief Rachid Hachichi. (CONTINUED – 660 WORDS) Read this article for free Gain access to over 60-years of energy analysis and news Delve into the details backed by data Exclusive information from high-level officials Assess future risks…

Opec+ producers look set to complete the unwinding of 2.2mn b/d of voluntary production cuts in September after agreeing to accelerate the process again over the weekend. The Opec+ ‘Group of Eight’ shocked markets in April when it first started accelerating the tapering in the face of economic headwinds, but its gambit appears to be paying off with prices proving resilient despite increased production (MEES, 4 April). “The market needs to trust us,” says one Opec official, “in Q4 2024 they said that we couldn’t bring 2.2mn b/d back, but now look at the situation.” Absent a surprise decision to…

The Egypt Mining Forum has kicked off in its fourth edition at the Nile Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cairo on July 15.  The two-day event is held under the theme ‘Accelerating Commercial Exploration, Discovery and Extraction and Achieving Value Added from Raw Materials’, to highlight Egypt’s vast mining potential and promise investment opportunities in the exploration, search, and extraction of gold and minerals, as well as the manufacturing of mineral raw materials, according to a statement by the ministry of petroleum and Mineral Resources. “Egypt is open to all forms of investment. We stand ready to allocate additional areas for exploration…