A 150 cubic feet daily decrease in Egyptian production of natural gas is the result of natural decreases in well productivity. Egyptian gas production dropped to 4.7bn cubic feet per day, compared to 5.85bn last month, according to Mohammed Hassan, Assistant Deputy Chairman of holding company EGAS. The total shortage of fuel supplied to power plants is approximately 101m cubic metres of gas per day. Approximately 101m cubic metres of gas is pumped daily into power plants, whereas actual needs are estimated to be 112m cubic metres, according to Hassan. He pointed out that EGAS supplies approximately 76m cubic metres of gas and 26,000 tons of fuel oil per day to power plants. As a result of declining gas production rates, EGAS has cut approximately 380m square feet daily of total cement and fertilisation factory consumption, which is estimated at approximately 920m cubic feet. Daily cement factory consumption, which is valued at 410m cubic feet per day, has been reduced by 250m cubic feet daily. Daily fertiliser factory production, valued at 510m cubic feet per day, has been reduced by 130m cubic feet daily, Hassan added. Gas ceased to be supplied for one of the two production steps in Egyptian fertiliser factories last April and the line will not be able to operate unless production rates are increased in the near future. The contracted amount for each line is approximately 45m cubic feet of gas daily, and EGAS has stopped one of its lines.
