Mozambique: Second floating LNG production platform now a reality – Eni CEO | Watch

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Mozambique: Second floating LNG production platform now a reality – Eni CEO | Watch

9:46 CAT | 12 Jun 2025

Screen grab: Daniel Francisco Chapo - Oficial

The executive director of Italian energy company Eni said on Wednesday in Maputo that the second floating platform, Coral Norte, for the production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the Rovuma basin, Mozambique, is now a reality, following approval of the project by the Government.

“Coral Norte is the future, and the President (…) brought very interesting and important news because we obtained authorisation for the development plan, with all the terms agreed. This means that Coral Norte is now a reality,” said the executive director of oil company Eni, Claudio Descalzi, after a meeting with Mozambican head of state Daniel Chapo in Maputo.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Descalzi also said that the Italian oil company plans to move forward with investments in agribusiness, focusing on biofuel production, initiatives that could create job opportunities in rural areas and boost the country’s integration into the biomass value chain.

“You produce a huge number of jobs. We normally work with 150,000 hectares and produce around 130,000 tonnes per year, but that amount of land and agricultural production could impact on 120,000 jobs,” he estimated.

“If you are working with 300,000 hectares, you can produce around 300,000 jobs. It’s a revolution. And the President is very focused on agriculture, on creating jobs,” Descalzi added, acknowledging that agricultural projects can translate into more jobs for Mozambicans.

Mozambique has three approved mega-development projects to explore the Rovuma basin’s LNG reserves, ranked among the world’s largest, off the coast of Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country, including one by TotalEnergies, still suspended due to security issues, and another by ExxonMobil, awaiting a final investment decision, both on the Afungi peninsula.

The only one in production since mid-2022 is operated by Eni, concessionaire of Area 4 of Rovuma, which has meanwhile moved forward with a second floating platform, a copy of the first (Coral Sul) and designated Coral Norte, to increase gas extraction.

On April 8, 2024, the Mozambican government approved an investment of €6.6 billion for the Coral North LNG project, with an estimated production of 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and start-up in 2028.

“The plan is the second phase of development of the Coral North field, FLNG, and consists of a floating natural gas liquefaction infrastructure with a capacity of 3.55 million tonnes per year and six production wells, valued at around US$7.2 billion, with production scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2028,” announced Cabinet spokesman Inocêncio Impissa on that date.

The project “also provides for the supply of natural gas to the domestic market in the proportion of 25% of the total gas to be produced, in accordance with national legislation, and 100% of the condensate for power generation,” enabling the “development of industrialisation projects in Mozambique,” said government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa on April 8, 2024.

“The project will also generate 1,400 jobs for Mozambicans, with plans to implement a succession plan to increase the skills and availability of Mozambican labour in the oil and gas sector,” he added.

The country also expects to earn US$23 billion (€20.1 billion) over 30 years from the Coral Norte project, Eni’s second LNG production platform in the Rovuma basin, according to the government.

Source: Lusa