Egypt Prepares to Restart LNG Shipments from Idku in October
Egypt is preparing to resume liquefied natural gas exports from the Idku facility in October under a new shipping program agreed with Shell and Petronas.
A Shell official told Asharq Bloomberg that the companies are finalizing the details of the program, including the number of cargoes and export volumes. Each shipment is expected to carry approximately 150,000 cubic meters of LNG.
The planned exports come as Egypt seeks to manage domestic gas requirements while maintaining its commitments to foreign energy partners. LNG shipments are expected to be scheduled during periods when domestic demand is lower and gas supplies are sufficient.
Under the previous arrangement, Shell and Petronas were allowed to export up to seven LNG cargoes during the winter months. Egypt had also shipped several LNG cargoes from Idku in late 2025 and early 2026.
Egypt's natural gas production has declined significantly in recent years, reaching around 3.8 billion cubic feet per day compared with more than 6 billion cubic feet per day in 2021. Meanwhile, domestic consumption averages about 6.5 billion cubic feet per day and can reach 7.5 billion cubic feet during the summer.
The supply-demand gap has pushed Egypt to rely on LNG imports to cover domestic requirements, despite its previous position as a regional LNG exporter.
The government is also seeking to raise local production by offering incentives to international oil and gas companies to expand exploration and production investments.
Egypt's LNG facilities in Idku and Damietta have combined liquefaction capacity of around 12 million tonnes annually, allowing the country to increase exports when sufficient natural gas supplies are available.