In mid-February 2020, industry sources reported that ExxonMobil was granted the Star Offshore Mediterranean concession, offshore Nile Delta. The block is located in deep waters in a distal position of the Nile's sedimentary system, within the Messinian salt extent.  The concession includes the new filed wildcat Leil 1 spudded by Shell (with partner ExxonMobil) in 2001. The well which was drilled in 1,759 m of water to an unknown depth was abandoned after some gas shows in the Pliocene Kafr El Sheikh Formation.  Background information  On 19 December 2019, local media reported that the Egyptian Council of Ministers approved two new petroleum agreements that would allow the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) along with several NOCs and IOCs to explore and produce oil and gas in the Star offshore Mediterranean and in the West Sherbeen onshore Nile Delta concessions.  As of mid-December 2019, it was understood that the two concessions had not been granted and their location and area of had not been publicly disclosed.
Exxon signed-off the contract for the Star Offshore Mediterranean DW concession. The coverage/outline has yet to be obtained. A similar move is yet to be reported for the West Sherbeen block.