Italian oil giant, ENI has been granted three concessions in Egypt’s Western Desert and the Mediterranean, the Italian oil and gas multinational disclosed on Thursday.

The three concessions were awarded by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) including an onshore block situated in the Western Desert.

“This onshore block covers an area of 2.058 square km,” Al Ahram Online reported EGPC as having said on Thursday.

Additionally, Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) has also granted ENI two deep-water blocks near Cyprus’ nautical border in the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Al Ahram Online, ENI will have to fully take care of operations in the North Leil offshore block, “which covers 5.105 square km, at a depth ranging from 2.100 to 2.800 metres.”

Oil and gas giant, British Petroleum (BP), will be in a joint venture with ENI in the second Mediterranean block, Karawan offshore, it has emerged.

Last week, Egypt endorsed search transactions valued at $187 million for areas in the Western Desert, Suez Canal, the Nile Delta and the Mediterranean Sea.

Egypt has suffered energy deficiencies as its gas production slipped 17 percent year-on-year in July this year, while its exports sagged 73.4 percent, according to Al Ahram Online.

In the past couple of years, the state has been battling to pay back the debt it has added up in foreign oil companies operating in the troubled North African country.

This has prompted demand to surpass production in the Arab world’s most populous nation with more than 80 million people.