The firm’s Al-Tawil-1 well flowed at 23.5 million cubic feet a day of gas and 1,027 barrels a day of condensate.

It says recoverable reserves are estimated at 90 billion cubic feet of gas and 4 million barrels of associated condensate, marking a 20 per cent rise in the company’s reserves in Egypt.

Dana says additional exploratory wells will be drilled in both the West Manzala and the West Qantara concessions in 2008 and 2009.

The firm is to spend $170m on drilling in the country in 2008, in an effort to double its Egyptian reserves (MEED 31:3:08).

One exploration well and one development well will be drilled in the Komombo concession in the south of the country, and three development and 14 exploration wells will be drilled in the Nile Delta.

Five of the Nile Delta wells will target the Sidi Salem formation, at a depth of about 4,000 metres.