US oil and gas explorer Apache announced its latest discovery in the Faghur Basin in the Western desert of Egypt encountered 105 feet of net hydrocarbon pay. Apache Corp. announced the West Kalabsha I-1x discovery in the basin had a test flow rate of more than 4,500 barrels of oil and 10.1 million cubic feet of natural gas. Tom Voytovich, the vice president of Apache for Egypt, said the discovery solidifies the resource potential for his company's operations in the country. "West Kalabsha is proving to be a fertile hunting ground," he said. "With the ongoing infrastructure expansion, the time from concept to actual production should be shortened dramatically." Cairo announced in February that it signed formal agreements with Apache for prospecting rights in the deserts in the west of the country. Apache estimates the region has as much as 50 million barrels of oil equivalent. Expansion of transportation infrastructure in the region could expand production capacity from 8,100 barrels per day to 40,000 bpd by late 2010, the company added. Oil production from Egypt is expected to be a "key driver" for Apache's activity in 2010, the company said.
