Plans to start exporting gas from Israel to Egypt are on track but further steps are still needed before exports can commence, Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla said on Monday.
"Everything is agreed on ... countries [involved] have already given their blessings. There is no issue in that," El-Molla told reporters during an energy conference in Abu Dhabi.
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"It's a multilateral deal, a gas deal, and a pipeline deal so it is a little bit [of] a lengthy process. That's why it is taking a little bit of time."
The gas will be supplied via the East Mediterranean Gas subsea pipeline following a landmark $15 billion export deal struck last year.
The pipeline operator has signed a deal to use a terminal belonging to Israel's Europe Asia Pipeline Company, one of the final hurdles before starting exports, the companies said on Sunday.
El-Molla also said that Egypt's Damietta liquefied natural gas plant would restart operations as planned before the end of the year.
The plant in northern Egypt has been idled for years due to a lack of a gas supply amid a dispute with Union Fenosa Gas, a joint venture between Spain's Gas Natural and Italy's Eni.
Damietta is 80% owned by UFG, with the remaining 20% split evenly between the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.
Egypt's gas production will rise from around seven to around 7.5 billion cubic feet per day next year, the minister said, with domestic needs to be given priority over exports.
