When the first natural gas from Cyprus arrives in Europe through pipelines and liquefaction terminals in Egypt, the geopolitical energy map of the Eastern Mediterranean will be marked with new coordinates.

Eni and Total Energy officially announced on July 28, 2026, that they have made the final investment decision for the development of the Cronos gas field in Block 6 off the coast of Cyprus. This is the first natural gas development project in Cyprus, expected to start production in 2028, marking the official opening of a natural gas corridor connecting new gas fields with the European market in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

2.8 Mtpa Capacity Logic

The Cronos gas field is located in the deep sea about 185 kilometers southwest of the coast of Cyprus, with original natural gas geological reserves of approximately 3 trillion cubic feet. After discovery in 2022 and evaluation in 2024, the project will adopt a development plan of four subsea wells. The natural gas produced is transported to Egypt via an underwater pipeline, processed at the Zohr gas field facility, and then processed into LNG by the Damietta liquefaction terminal before being exported to Europe.

After being put into operation in 2028, the peak production of the project is about 500 million standard cubic feet per day, equivalent to an annual LNG production of about 2.8 million tons. Eni and Total Energy each hold a 50% stake and are responsible for selling 1.4 million tons/year of LNG production.

Egypt's downfall as a regional natural gas hub

The host government agreement signed in February 2025 established a commercial framework for the project, covering terms such as the use of Zohr facilities, natural gas transit through Egypt, Damietta liquefaction, and LNG sales. Total Energy expects its LNG business to reach 60 million tons per year by 2030, while Eni's long-term contract LNG target for the same period is over 20 million tons per year. Keywords: energy map, natural gas pipeline

By utilizing existing facilities in Egypt instead of building new terminals, the development cycle has been shortened and carbon intensity has been reduced. When Cyprus' first gas field is connected directly to Europe through Egyptian infrastructure, the East Mediterranean Sea is undergoing a multidimensional leap from a undeveloped area to an active gas supply area.Editor/Cheng Liting