Egypt plans to hold a gas licensing round “within weeks", according to the country’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek el-Molla.

El-Molla said the blocks would be offshore and some would be in a “frontier” region that is an extension of the West Nile Delta. Two gas fields in the West Nile Delta that are being developed as part of an existing $12bn field development project are due to come online later this year.

The latest comments follow an announcement in January by the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) that a licensing round would be held before June.

Egypt is looking to rapidly transition from a net gas importing country to a major gas exporter in the wake of several large discoveries in the East Mediterranean.

Egypt is aiming to sign a memorandum of understanding with the EU before the middle of 2018 as it looks to become a regional energy hub and a strategic energy exporter. The North African country says it wants to export domestically produced gas as well as gas produced by neighbouring countries.

The government is seeking to capitalise on existing oil and gas infrastructure, including pipelines, refineries, platforms and two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.

Earlier this month, Egypt’s Dolphinus Holdings signed a landmark deal worth $15bn to buy 64 billion cubic metres of Israeli gas. The gas will be supplied from Israel’s Tamar and Leviathan reservoirs and bought from US-based Nobel Energy and Israel’s Delek Drilling. Half of the gas will be supplied from each field and the proceeds will be split evenly between the two companies.

The agreement could potentially pave the way for exports of Israeli gas to an Egyptian LNG terminal operated by the UK/Dutch Shell Group.