CAIRO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO) has drilled an exploratory well in the Gulf of Suez, with initial estimates of production of around 2,500 barrels of crude oil per day and 3 million cubic feet of gas per day, local authorities said Tuesday.

The well, named South Al-Wasl B.B, was developed in partnership with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Dragon Oil, which is based in the United Arab Emirates, according to an Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources statement.

GUPCO said the drilling of the well has raised its total production to about 67,000 barrels of oil per day, for the first time in a long period.

The Egyptian government has been seeking to increase oil and gas output after a decline in natural gas production in recent years. In August 2025, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Egypt's current gas production stands at 4.1 billion cubic feet per day, with plans to reach 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2027.

The ministry said Egypt plans to drill more than 100 exploratory wells this year to secure new energy reserves. ■