Finanacial Mirror: Egypt wants Cyprus gas; pipeline to LNG plant

Egypt is willing to take as much of the future natural gas supply that Cyprus can export, to satisfy its growing energy deficit and power its rapid population growth, its energy minister said after a meeting in Nicosia.

Egyptian Oil Minister Sherif Ismail told his Cypriot and Greek counterparts that his country is willing to receive as much gas as Cyprus is able to export, a declaration that could also calm local fears that future upstream production would have to be piped north to Turkey in order to reach Europe.

“Egypt has a very huge (natural gas) infrastructure and can accommodate the production coming from Cyprus,” Ismail told reporters.

Egypt had a shortfall of about 700 mln standard cubic feet that needed to be met by imports, Ismail said after talks with host Energy Minister George Lakkotrypis, adding that the possibility of re-exporting Cypriot gas from Egypt was also an option. The first output from any offshore Cyprus gasfield is not seen any time before 2020 or 2021 at the earliest.
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