Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati on Sunday announced that the drilling in Well 53 in Risha gas field has shown "promising results”. 

The potential size of production would be announced by the end of 2020, after the assessment has be concluded, Zawati said. 

The drilling and exploration in wells 50, 51, and 52 in the same area remain ongoing, Zawati said, noting that the field’s daily production, excluding well 53, amounts to 19 million cubic feet of gas. 

During a press briefing, Zawati stressed that this achievement comes in light of the commitment to Royal directives, which were translated into the 2020-2030 comprehensive strategy for energy. 

The strategy aims at increasing the local generation of electricity to contribute 48.5 per cent of total consumption in 2030 compared with 15 per cent in 2019, the minister said. 

Zawati also extended thanks to the National Petroleum Company (NPC) whose timely drilling of wells was considered "a precedent”. 

NPC Director General Mohammad Khasawneh stressed the importance of receiving governmental support to increase the production of the field.

The NPC’s extraction of natural gas totalled 229 billion cubic feet in the period extending from its foundation in 1995 until the year 2017.