Egypt's gas paradox

Importing gas may seem counterintuitive, but a deal to do just that is part of the country's gas renaissance

Last year a private company, Dolphinus Holdings, signed a $15bn deal to buy Israeli gas. The 10-year contract will see the gas from offshore Israel — from the US' Noble Energy and Israel's Delek Drilling — sold for both domestic consumption and possibly for export via Egypt's two LNG plants, Damietta and Idku. The origins of the deal lie in the chaotic aftermath of Egypt's Arab Spring revolution, when gas production fell below ever-rising consumption. Prior to 2011, Egypt was a gas exporter, selling to Israel via the East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) pipeline. But in 2014, post-revolutionary chaos saw production fall. Prioritising the domestic market, Egypt ceased exports, with the two LNG plants