An Innovative Project for Digitalization of Subsurface Information: Egypt Upstream Gateway
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Schlumberger recently announced the launch of the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG), an innovative national project for the digitalization of subsurface information. This digital platform will also enable global access to the country’s subsurface data, which is kept evergreen by enhancing legacy datasets through reprocessing and new studies. This unique digital initiative will be used to unlock the potential of Egypt’s petroleum sector and promote the country’s exploration and production potential worldwide.
“Egypt is in the process of launching the Egypt Upstream Gateway, a digital subsurface platform that will act as an up-to-date repository of the country’s subsurface data,” said H.E. Eng. Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Egypt. “The Egypt Upstream Gateway will digitally promote Egypt’s oil and gas bid rounds through seamless online access to the sector’s data, as well as endorsing our exploration potential worldwide.”
“In a world of constant changes, digitalization became a pivotal enabler that allows the oil and gas industry to add value to the business operation by reducing costs, increasing productivity, and improve the decision-making process,” he added. The project is considered a great success as the minister remarked that over 90% of those who worked on the project belong to Egypt’s oil and gas sector.
The minister highlighted the importance of digital transformation for the oil and gas sector, especially during such unusual circumstances. He noted that as the oil and gas industry thrives in Egypt, there lies a great opportunity to leverage big data and new technologies to accelerate discoveries.
“The Egypt Upstream Gateway is the embodiment of the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum’s vision, leveraging digitization to modernize the country’s petroleum sector,” said Rajeev Sonthalia, President, Digital & Integration, Schlumberger. “With the launch of this industry-first platform, the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and its affiliates – EGPC, EGAS, GANOPE – can digitally showcase national assets to investors worldwide, in addition to leveraging the latest digital technology and solutions to accelerate discovery throughout the country.”
“We are honoured to inaugurate this national digital project that moves Egypt forward,” Schlumberger’s CEO Olivier Le Peuch mentioned, adding that EUG will be a steppingstone to unlocking Egypt’s full potential as Egypt attract investments, accelerate explorations and achieve discoveries.
“As competition for investment intensifies, this is an important time to leverage national data, to demonstrate assets potential,” Hinda Gharbi, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Services and Equipment at Schlumberger pointed out. She assured that companies will have fast and secure access to data which will assist existing and new operators to work more efficiently.
Khaled Al Mogharbel, EVP of Geographies at Schlumberger, discussed some of the regional opportunities in Egypt. “We believe that EUG will create game-changing impacts by promoting Egypt’s E&P potential on a truly global scale,” he stated noting that over 10 international oil companies (IOCs) signed a membership agreement with EGPC.
The Egypt Upstream Gateway provides digital access to over 100 years’ worth of accumulated national onshore and offshore seismic, non-seismic, well-log, production, and additional subsurface data under a single platform. This data, which empowers de-risked decisions through the ability to explore multiple basins and evergreen data, can be accessed virtually from anywhere using the platform’s online portal. In addition, the Egypt Upstream Gateway will host Egypt’s upcoming bid round highlighting lease availability information to national and international investors worldwide.
Ten heads of major IOCs, including Eni, Apache, and Wintershall Dea signed membership agreements in the EUG, which indicating companies’ trust in the new platform.
