KEY POINTS
- ExxonMobil has lifted force majeure on its Rovuma LNG project in northern Mozambique, restarting work paused since 2021 due to jihadist attacks.
- The company expects a final investment decision in 2026 as security conditions improve and international partners return to Cabo Delgado.
- The restart follows renewed diplomatic engagement and comes shortly after TotalEnergies also resumed its suspended LNG development in the same region.
ExxonMobil has formally resumed work on its long-delayed natural gas project in northern Mozambique, marking its first decisive step back into the troubled region more than four years after Islamist violence forced a suspension.
The company confirmed on Thursday that it had lifted the force majeure on the Rovuma LNG development in Cabo Delgado, a region that has suffered a grinding jihadist insurgency with more than 6,200 fatalities recorded since 2017. The decision effectively restarts a multibillion-dollar scheme that ExxonMobil hopes will come on stream by 2030.
The company holds a 25 per cent stake in the onshore facility, which forms a major part of Mozambique’s ambition to become one of the world’s leading liquefied natural gas exporters. The project had been stalled since March 2021, when a brutal jihadist offensive left hundreds dead and forced international oil companies to evacuate staff and scale down operations.
The Rovuma development sits in Area 4, operated by the Mozambique Rovuma Venture, jointly controlled by ExxonMobil, the Italian group Eni, and China’s CNPC. Additional partners include XRG of Abu Dhabi, South Korea’s KOGAS, and Mozambique’s state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos.
Project Restart Signals Renewed Confidence in Cabo Delgado’s Security Outlook
ExxonMobil said it was working closely with the Mozambican government and its partners to ensure appropriate security arrangements for personnel and infrastructure after years of uncertainty. The company described recent planning efforts as nearing completion, adding that a final investment decision is expected in 2026.
The revival follows months of diplomatic engagement. In October, ExxonMobil’s chief executive, Darren Woods, hosted President Filipe Nyusi in Houston and later described the talks as productive, hinting that a restart was imminent. Woods also said the firm remained optimistic about the broader outlook for Mozambique’s gas sector, despite ongoing criticism by NGOs over security, environmental risks, and the treatment of local communities.
The decision comes just weeks after TotalEnergies, which operates the adjacent Mozambique LNG project, also announced its return to Cabo Delgado. Its project had been frozen for four years following the same wave of jihadist attacks. Mozambique’s government said this week it would audit economic losses tied to TotalEnergies’ suspension, reflecting a growing push to quantify the financial impact of the insurgency on national revenues.
ExxonMobil did not say whether it planned to pursue compensation for its own delays, noting only that its focus was on completing preparatory work and maintaining safety.
Despite continuing pockets of violence, international partners have gradually rebuilt confidence in the region, helped by military interventions led by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community.
Mozambique is banking heavily on LNG developments to transform its economy and reshape public finances, but analysts warn that progress will depend on long-term stability and credible oversight.
