Egypt’s state gas firm Egas launched a bid round for six offshore and six onshore blocks on 28 December as it looks to capitalize on a surge of interest from key existing offshore players Eni and UK major BP, which has seen them snag several additional blocks and advance drilling plans in recent months (MEES, 2 December 2022). Chevron’s recent drilling success at Nargis (MEES, 2 December) has also spurred interest in the relatively-unexplored ‘North of Sinai’ region where three blocks encompassing almost all of the ‘free’ acreage are among those on offer (see map 1).