Egypt and Jordan continue to struggle to agree on an amended natural gas deal, Jordanian energy officials were reported as saying on Wednesday. The new deal comes after a string of attacks on the pipeline have greatly affected Jordan's energy abilities. The Jordan Times reported Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled Toukan said that Jordanian officials have “yet to be informed by Cairo when pumping of Egyptian gas will resume.” The two counties are hoping to amend a gas deal that would bring about a favorable pricing structure. The current deal sees Jordan receiving Egyptian gas at less than half the international rate. Egyptian authorities previously estimated that repairs on the pipeline, which were damaged on July 12 in what marked the second Sinai explosion less than a month, would take 7-10 days. Egyptian gas supplies have yet to return to pre-attack levels and prior to the most recent attack on the pipeline dropped to 60 million cubic feet – well below the 240 million cubic feet stipulated in a 12-year agreement between the two sides, the Jordan Times reported. BM
