KEY POINTS
- Eni and partners begin drilling for Coral North offshore Mozambique.
- The drilling campaign is expected to last about 10 months, ahead of a planned 2028 startup.
- Mozambique’s LNG production capacity is expected to rise to 7 million tonnes annually.
Italian energy company Eni and its partners have started drilling and completion operations for the Coral North Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project offshore Mozambique, marking a major step towards its planned startup in 2028.
The campaign is expected to last approximately 10 months and will develop gas resources in the northern section of the Coral reservoir in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin.
The project is expected to increase Mozambique’s liquefied natural gas production capacity to seven million tonnes per annum (MTPA), strengthening its position in international gas markets.
Drilling campaign to run for 10 months
The drilling operations will be conducted by ENH-Saipem Drilling Company SA using the Saipem 12000 drilling vessel.
The campaign is a key stage in preparing Coral North for production, with the project expected to build on the success of the Coral South FLNG development, which was the first to produce gas from Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin.
Eni and its Area 4 partners are advancing the project as part of efforts to unlock Mozambique’s substantial offshore natural gas reserves and increase supplies to international markets.
The partners include China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Mozambique’s national hydrocarbons company ENH, Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) and XRG.
Project strengthens local participation
The involvement of the ENH-Saipem joint venture represents a milestone for local content development in Mozambique’s oil and gas industry.
For the first time, a company with Mozambican participation will take a direct operational role in offshore drilling, a technically demanding and capital-intensive part of the natural gas industry.
The arrangement is expected to strengthen local technical expertise, improve the capabilities of Mozambique’s energy workforce and give domestic companies greater participation in major offshore projects.
The development comes as Mozambique seeks to expand its role in the global energy market while building local capacity to support its growing hydrocarbons sector.
LNG output expected to reach 7 million tonnes annually
Coral North is expected to increase Mozambique’s LNG production capacity to 7 MTPA, further establishing the country as a supplier to international markets.
Eni said the project would contribute to global energy security while supporting Mozambique’s long-term economic growth and development objectives.
The expansion builds on Coral South, which has already delivered more than 175 LNG cargoes to the market.
Eni has operated in Mozambique since 2006. Between 2011 and 2014, it discovered substantial natural gas resources in the Rovuma Basin, including the Coral, Mamba Complex and Agulha reservoirs, with an estimated 2,400 billion cubic metres of gas in place.
Beyond its energy investments, the company said it supports Mozambique’s economic diversification and access to education, healthcare and water through its sustainability programmes.
