Shell has commenced a four-well drilling campaign in the Mediterranean Sea, utilizing the Stena IceMax drillship. This campaign integrates both development and exploration activities aimed at replenishing reserves and securing exposure to underexplored basins with significant follow-up potential.

Mina West Development

The campaign's initial phase involves drilling two development wells for the Mina West project within the North East El Amriya (NEEA) concession. The field, operated by Shell (60%) in partnership with Kufpec (40%), is scheduled to begin production this year. It is forecast to yield approximately 160 million cubic feet per day of gas and 1,900 barrels per day of condensate. The development will be a subsea tie-back to existing infrastructure.

Near-Field Exploration

Following the Mina West development wells, the campaign includes an exploration well in the NEEA concession targeting a prospect named Sirius. This well is part of a strategy to accelerate near-field exploration opportunities and will focus on a shallower play than the Mina West field.

Frontier Exploration in the Herodotus Basin

A key component of the campaign is the Velox exploration well in the North Cleopatra block of the frontier Herodotus basin. Shell holds a 36% stake in this block, partnered by Chevron (27%), QatarEnergy (27%), and Tharwa Petroleum Company (10%). The block covers over 3,400 square kilometers in water depths up to 2,600 meters and is near the North Marakia block, where ExxonMobil made a non-commercial gas discovery, Nefertari, in early 2025.

The Velox well is targeting Lower Cretaceous deep water clastics, believed to be charged from a postulated thermogenic source rock. It represents the third well drilled in the Herodotus basin since 2024, following Chevron's dry hole at Khendjer-1X and ExxonMobil's Nefertari discovery. ExxonMobil has since relinquished the North Marakia block.