Egypt has held talks with French energy company TotalEnergies over plans to widen natural gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean Sea, as the country seeks to boost production and attract more foreign investment into its energy sector.

The discussions took place during a meeting between Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawy and Pascal Breant, who oversees TotalEnergies’ operations in Egypt and Cyprus. The focus was on potential new exploration opportunities in deepwater areas, including offshore zones in the western Mediterranean such as the Herodotus Basin.

Officials said Egypt is aiming to strengthen its appeal to international energy companies by improving investment conditions and encouraging more exploration activity. The government views the Mediterranean offshore region as a key area with significant untapped gas potential.

TotalEnergies expressed interest in expanding its upstream activities in Egypt, describing the country as an important strategic market. The company highlighted the Mediterranean’s promising geological prospects as a key reason for its renewed focus on exploration.

Both parties agreed to speed up technical discussions and work toward signing a memorandum of understanding soon. The expected agreement would lay the groundwork for future joint exploration projects and deeper cooperation in offshore gas development.

The renewed engagement reflects Egypt’s broader strategy to increase natural gas output and strengthen its position as a regional energy hub.