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Mozambique: Eni, ENH sign contract for new offshore block in Angoche basin – Photos
12:24 CAT | 30 Aug 2024
Photo: Ministério dos Recursos Minerais e Energia - Mireme
The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique expressed optimism about hydrocarbon exploration in a block formally awarded yesterday to a consortium formed by Italian multinational Eni and Mozambican public company ENH.
“We are optimistic about the results of the exploration in the concession area,” said Carlos Zacarias after the signing on Thursday of the concession contract for hydrocarbon exploration and production in the Angoche sedimentary basin, northern Mozambique, between the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Eni and ENH.
The results of preliminary studies carried out in the Angoche basin so far create expectations regarding the operations that the consortium will carry out, the minister added.
Carlos Zacarias said that the assessment of commercial quantities of existing resources would depend on the quality of the concessionaires’ complementary exploration in the Angoche A6-C Offshore Area, in the coast of Nampula province.
The Minister further called for the use of technologies with the least possible impact on the environment, to allow oil operations to coexist in a sustainable manner with other economic activities such as fishing and tourism, and for compliance with the law.
“We recommend compliance with the work program established in the concession contracts, always complying with the oil and gas legislation and related legislation in force, particularly environmental legislation,” Carlos Zacarias declared.
Zacarias pointed out that the oil operations carried out by Eni and ENH would create jobs, social projects for the communities in the area affected by the concession and business opportunities, as well as generating revenue for the State.
The director of Eni in Mozambique, Marica Calabrese, described research operations in the area now formally awarded as an important milestone in the presence of the Italian multinational in the African country.
“Eni has great faith in this country, and this will be the beginning of another success,” said Calabrese, recalling that the Italian major began operations in Mozambique in 2006 with natural gas exploration in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, in the north of the country, and then with the start of the first production project in the region, Coral Sul.
READ: Eni S p A : Coral Sul FLNG achieves 5 million tons of LNG production from offshore Mozambique
“After the success of Coral Sul, we are ready to launch Coral Norte,” also in the Rovuma Basin, she added.
The exploration concession contracts signed yesterday are the result of the 6th Licensing Round for the concession of hydrocarbon exploration and production areas, launched in 2021.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique (MIREME) said in a statement that the Rovuma LNG consortium, led by US major ExxonMobil, has started the basic engineering phase of natural gas exploration in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin.
“This phase, which should last approximately 16 months, represents the final stage before the final investment decision is made,” MIREME said in the statement.
READ: Mozambique: Area 4 concessionaires enter FEED stage for Rovuma LNG project
Mozambique has the third largest natural gas reserves in Africa.
The country currently has three approved development projects to exploit the natural gas reserves of the Rovuma basin, classified as among the largest in the world, off the coast of Cabo Delgado.
Two of these projects are larger and envisage channelling the gas from the seabed to land, cooling it in a factory, and exporting it by sea in a liquid state.
One is led by TotalEnergies (Area 1 consortium) and works progressed until they were suspended indefinitely after an armed attack on Palma in March 2021, when the French energy company declared that it would only resume work when it perceived the area as safe.
The other is the investment yet to be announced, led by ExxonMobil and Eni (onshore Area 4 consortium), with the Italian oil major having another offshore project already approaching full production. phase.
READ: Mozambique expects FID on Exxon-led Rovuma LNG project by 2026
Source: Lusa
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