Egypt Gas Consumption Hits New High As Cairo Plots Near-Term Output Gains

22 Sep 2023 Issue: 66 / 38 By: Peter Stevenson

Gas consumption in Egypt rose to a record 6.8bn cfd for July as output continued to slump. Imports of piped Israeli gas remained above 800mn cfd for the ninth consecutive month but still weren’t enough to prevent power cuts.

Egypt’s gas output continues to slide. After hitting an all-time high of 7.06bn cfd in September 2021, output has fallen precipitously with July’s 5.73bn cfd down a whopping 19% versus the record figure. And things will likely get worse before they get any better.

That the country’s gas output malaise has taken place at time when gas consumption in Egypt is at record highs has compounded the problem. Gas remains the key power fuel resulting in blackouts which have worsened even after the end of the peak summer demand season (MEES, 15 September). July’s gas consumption figure of 6.84bn cfd is an all-time high, and with gas output falling to a three-year low, the country’s deficit soared to a seven year high 1.1bn cfd (see chart 1). (CONTINUED - 1129 WORDS)