BP begins gas production at West Nile Delta project

(Sharecast News) - Oil giant BP has kicked off gas production from the second stage of its West Nile Delta development programme, its second upstream major project to come onstream in 2019.BP's West Nile project, which produces gas from the Giza and Fayoum fields, was developed as a deepwater, long-distance tie-back to an existing onshore plant and is expected to record peak production levels of roughly 700m cubic feet of gas per day.Chief executive Bob Dudley, who praised the Egyptian government for its support in bringing the project to life, said: "With the second stage of West Nile Delta now online, BP has now safely brought 21 new upstream major projects into production over the last three years, keeping us on track to deliver 900,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2021."The 82.75% owned West Nile project, which follows the launch of BP's Anadarko-operated Constellation oil project in the Gulf of Mexico back in January, is made up of a total of five gas fields across the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater offshore concession blocks.BP had originally planned to develop the fields as two separate projects but said it had "realised the opportunity to deliver it in three stages", accelerating the delivery of its gas production commitments in Egypt.Regional president Hesham Mekawi said: "Our story in Egypt now stretches back for more than half a century and, thanks to projects like this, it has a bright future."As of 1000 GMT, BP shares had picked up 0.86% to 548.70p.