Egypt inspects deepwater drillship as it expands Mediterranean gas search

Egypt's petroleum minister has inspected the deepwater drilling vessel Stena IceMax in the Mediterranean to follow up on operations at a new natural gas exploration well. The sixth-generation drillship is carrying out a programme to drill several wells off the Egyptian coast, including a development well and further exploration wells.

Officials described the vessel as among the most advanced drilling units operating in the region, reflecting the scale and technical capabilities of current exploration activity in the Mediterranean. The inspection comes as the country continues efforts to expand natural gas exploration and production and to attract investment in its energy sector.