BP has begun trial operations at its North Alexandria offshore concession and is expected to bring the well to commercial production levels this year, Oil Minister Tarek El Molla said yesterday, Al Borsa reports. As we noted earlier this month, BP is expecting to produce 600 mcf/d of natural gas and will process it at Shell’s Burullus gas treatment plant. El Molla also had nice things to say about BP, particularly its work on the West Nile Delta concession, in an interview with Your Oil and Gas News on Monday.

El Molla’s statement came after President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with the CEOs of BP, Rosneft, and Eni to discuss the progress on the companies’ projects in Egypt, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Rosneft’s CEO Igor Sechin told El Sisi that the Russian company expects to complete the acquisition of its 30% stake in the Zohr field in 2Q2017, according to a statement. El Sisi told the IOC heads that Egypt is looking to self-sufficiency in energy by 2018, and is committed “to providing a climate conducive to attract new investment,” according to an emailed statement.