CAIRO: Egypt plans to raise its natural gas output by 400 million cubic feet per day within three days, Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said on Tuesday, by increasing production at its Giza and Fayoum fields.Egypt's output had risen to 6.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day after an increase in production from its mammoth Zohr gas field in September.
The country aims to be a regional hub for the trade of liquefied natural gas after a string of major discoveries in recent years including Zohr, which holds an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.
The ministry will hold an exploration bid round for concessions in the Red Sea "within weeks", Molla said.