CAIRO/BENGALURU (Nov 8): Egyptian fertiliser producers have been notified of a new 33% reduction in their natural gas supplies, a company statement and industry officials said on Sunday, as the country seeks to curb the need for expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.

Misr Fertilizers Production Company said it had been told of the reduction, which follows an earlier 20% cut to gas supplies for fertiliser plants.

Egypt relies on domestic gas and, increasingly, imported LNG for power generation, but domestic output has struggled to keep pace with rising demand. The Iran war has tightened global LNG markets and pushed prices higher.

When the earlier cut was announced, MOPCO and Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Industries said they would manage production in line with available gas. Abu Qir said it had contingency plans for managing inventory and rescheduling maintenance.

The Petroleum Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The country has also stepped up cheaper fuel oil imports. State-run Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation bought six cargoes of high-sulphur fuel oil for delivery in November and December, trading sources told Reuters last month.

LNG imports have risen this year, reaching a year-to-date high in July before easing from August.

The ministry budgeted about US$10.1 billion for LNG in the 2026/2027 financial year, but prices have run above its estimates, an analyst said in October. It had spent US$5.8 billion by Oct 6, putting it on course to overrun the budget before demand usually rises in spring and summer, the analyst said.

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