State-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (Egas) is negotiating with four companies seeking to import natural gas to supply Egypt’s domestic market through the national grid.

Egas is currently in the process of evaluating the suitability of the companies, according to a report in Daily News Egypt, which cited an anonymous Egas source.

Egypt launched two floating import liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals in 2015 and the country currently imports around six to eight cargoes of LNG per month.

Egypt has been forced to increase gas imports amid increasing domestic demand and declining production.

LNG suppliers to Egypt include Anglo-Dutch Shell, Holland’s Trafigura, Spain’s Gas Natural, Holland-based Vitol, UK-based EDF Trading, PetroChina and US-based Nobel.