UK energy companies BG Group and BP are engaged in talks that could potentially boost output at BG Group’s Idku liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant near Alexandria in Egypt.

The deal being discussed would supply BG Group’s Idku facility with gas from two of BP’s offshore gas developments, anonymous sources told news agency Reuters.

On 31 July, BG Group told MEED it did not expect to make any exports from the facility for the rest of the year due to gas supplies being diverted away from its plant to feed domestic demand.

Egypt is currently experiencing its worst energy crisis in decades as domestic demand for natural gas outstrips production.

Under plans being discussed, BP would feed the Idku plant with about 350 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas from two fields called Libra and Taurus.

The scheme would use BG Group’s West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) offshore pipeline network, the source told Reuters.