Sharjah-based Dana Gas says it has made another gas discovery in Egypt – the first to be announced in 2010 by the company, following the eight discoveries it made in Egypt in 2009.

The latest discovery was at Orchid-1 well, in the West Manzala concession of the Nile Delta.

The well tested dry gas at a rate of 12.6 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (cf/d) and the preliminary estimated recoverable reserves of the well range between 10-50 billion cubic feet of dry gas.

According to Dana Gas, it is studying options for producing gas from the well, using its El-Wastani or South El-Manzala gas plants.

The company also says it has increased the daily production rate at its Egyptian facilities by 27 per cent over the past year.

By the end of December, Dana Gas Egypt’s production level had reached more than 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day – about 27 per cent higher than the figure at the end of 2008.

During 2009, the company’s production levels averaged 34,750 barrels of oil equivalent a day, or 20 per cent higher than the average figure for 2008.