Source: Upstream Online Date: 24 Feb 2016
Notices issued by the Council of Ministers – which includes President Filipe Nyusi – said the plan of development for the Coral South floating liquefied natural gas project has been rubber-stamped, as has Eni's Mamba development plan.
The latter involves development of part of the Mamba field via subsea wells taking gas to two onshore LNG trains at Afungi in Cabo Delgado province.
The decisions – which Upstream understands was fast-tracked – will allow Eni to push ahead with securing finance for these two projects and putting in place LNG sales agreements.
Eni later confirmed that it had been given plan of development approval for Coral but did not say the same for its plans at Mamba.
The Coral plan envisages the drilling and completion of six wells and the construction of one 3.4 million-tonnes-per-annum FLNG unit.
The approval relates to the first phase development of 5 trillion cubic feet of gas at the Rovuma basin discovery, made in May 2012.
Coral is situated in water depths of more than 2000 metres and is around 80 kilometres off the coast of Palma Bay.
Although Eni did not say it had won approval for Mamba, it added: "Eni and its partners are diligently pursuing the development of important gas reserve base of the Mamba discovery, which allowed in December 2015 the achievement of a unitisation agreement with Area 1."
Eni operates Area 4 on 50% through its holding in Eni East Africa, which holds a 70% stake and in which China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) also holds a stake and so a 20% interest in Area 4.
Other Area 4 stakeholders are Portugal's Galp Energia, Kogas of South Korea and state player ENH, each on 10%.
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