Eastern Mediterranean gas race shifts from reserves to export routes, spotlighting Egypt and Turkey

In the Eastern Mediterranean, the competition over natural gas has transitioned from disputes over field ownership to battles for control of export pathways. Egypt holds a clear edge with the Idku and Damietta LNG terminals, the only large-scale liquefaction facilities in the area, and a fleet of six floating storage and regasification units that allow it to import, process and re-export gas to markets such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Recent agreements see Egypt increasing Israeli gas imports and taking on Cypriot production for onward sale, yet its shrinking domestic output and rising internal demand force it to allocate most of its infrastructure to home consumption, limiting profit potential. Turkey, by contrast, relies on a diversified mix of pipeline links, five LNG regasification terminals and newly developed Black Sea reserves, positioning itself as a flexible hub capable of storing surplus and reselling it to Europe.

Over the past year it has signed roughly a dozen LNG contracts to lessen reliance on Russian and Iranian supplies. While Turkey’s model could create a robust market, its success hinges on transparent rules, third-party access and the trust of European purchasers, lest it be perceived merely as a rerouting point for Russian gas.