Production from BP’s Taurus and Libra fields in the West Nile Delta concession began on Wednesday, eight months ahead of schedule. The project also came in under budget,the company said in a statement. The fields, which constitute phase one of the West Nile Delta development, are currently producing more than 700 mn standard cubic feet of sales gas per day and 1,000 barrels per day of condensate, “which is 20% higher than the planned sales gas plateau,” according to BP. The additional capacity is expected to save Egypt an annual USD 1 bn, an emailed statement from the Petroleum Ministry said (pdf). The second phase of the project, which includes the Giza, Fayoum, and Raven fields, is expected to come on stream by 2019, raising the entire development’s production capacity to a daily 1.5 bcf of gas and saving Egypt an annual USD 1.8 bn. The story is getting international attention from Reuters.