The installation of a second floating platform for the exploration of natural gas reserves discovered by Italian oil company Eni in the Rovuma basin, Cabo Delgado province, will be today (30) the object of public consultation within the framework of the Environmental Pre-Feasibility and Scoping Study (EPDA).
A source from Eni told DE that “the meeting scheduled for today in Maputo has the main aim of collecting the main concerns and suggestions of the community, civil society, government institutions and other interested and affected parties about the project and the EPDA.
The Coral Norte project will be developed in Area 4, a hydrocarbon exploration and production block located in the deep waters of the Rovuma basin operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV).
Eni Rovuma Basin (ERB) is the delegated operator of the project.
Significant recoverable natural gas resources have been discovered in Area 4, including the Coral Sul reservoir, where a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) production plant, called Coral Sul, is already in operation.
“Taking into account the size of the Coral reservoir, a multi-phased development strategy is envisaged, with ERB now proposing the development of a second FLNG project to develop the resources located in the northern portion of the Coral reservoir – the Coral North Project” noted Consultec, the company contracted to carry out the environmental impact work.
Recently published data indicates that, for the Coral North project, the concessionaires estimate that the planned investment could total US$7 billion and is still subject to approval by the government.
If the schedule goes according to plan, the platform will start producing natural gas in the second half of 2027. The North Coral will be parked ten kilometres north of the South Coral, which started producing in November, making it the first project to take advantage of the large reserves in the Rovuma basin.
Last week, Eni signed an agreement with engineering giant TechnipFMC to start work on the practical duplication of its floating LNG unit (FLNG) off the northern coast of Mozambique, at a time when competition for FLNG berthing space is increasing worldwide.
