据能源世界网2月16日开罗报道，埃及石油部长表示，埃及已与五大能源公司达成初步协议，在其地中海西部沿海的深水水域勘探石油和天然气，这是该近海地区的第一笔此类交易。

Tarek El Molla周六对阿拉伯电视台《天空新闻》 表示，这五家公司分别是荷兰皇家壳牌、雪佛龙、英国石油、道达尔和埃克森美孚。

他称，勘探和生产协议涵盖七个特许权，由于所需要的投资规模，已与主要公司签署。该地区的勘探钻探工作将于2021年初开始。

意大利埃尼2015年在埃及东海岸附近Zohr巨型地中海油田的发现，激发了人们对埃及能源工业的兴趣和投资。

该国正试图将自己定位为地中海东部的能源枢纽，从以色列进口天然气，然后出口到约旦，甚至可能出口到欧洲和亚洲。

埃及一月份表示，其已与埃克森美孚公司签署了两项在地中海进行油气勘探的协议。

郝芬 译自 能源世界网

原文如下：

Egypt agrees with five energy firms on exploration in Mediterranean - minister

Egypt has reached initial agreements with five major energy firms to explore for oil and gas in deep waters in off its western coast on the Mediterranean, the petroleum minister said, the first such deals in that offshore region.

The five companies are Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron , BP, Total and Exxon Mobil, said Tarek El Molla told Sky News Arabia TV on Saturday.

He said the exploration and production agreements spanned seven concessions and had been signed with major companies because of the scale of investment needed. Exploratory drilling in the area would start in early 2021, he said.

The discovery of the giant Mediterranean field of Zohr off the eastern coasts of Egypt by Italy's Eni in 2015 sparked renewed interest and investment in Egypt's energy industry.

The country is trying to position itself as an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean, importing gas from Israel and exporting to Jordan and potentially to Europe and Asia.

Egypt said in January it had signed two deals with Exxon Mobil for oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean.