Maputo, March 18, 2026 (Lusa) – ExxonMobil intends to announce the final investment decision (FID) for its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) megaproject in Cabo Delgado in the second half of the year, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo revealed today, following a meeting in Brussels with executives from the oil company.
"They reiterated the need for us to continue working together so that, in the second half of this year, there is a definitive investment decision," Daniel Chapo said in Brussels, while reviewing his four-day visit to Belgium.
According to the head of state, the American oil giant ExxonMobil, leader of the Rovuma LNG megaproject in Cabo Delgado, which plans to share infrastructure with the neighbouring TotalEnergies megaproject currently under construction, remains committed to negotiations with the Government.
"In the last session of the cabinet, we approved two resolutions: one forming a 'steering committee' to deal with issues regarding the Total project, and another 'steering committee' to handle matters related to the Exxon project. The objective is really for our side, the government, to have extremely well-prepared, multi-sectoral teams that can ensure these projects are properly managed," he explained.
According to Mozambique's head of state, these teams will ensure that investors are satisfied with how processes are moving forward, so that conclusions can be reached "as quickly as possible" and subsequent steps taken.
"The fact that we formed this multi-sectoral team to handle ExxonMobil matters is because Exxon is extremely committed so that, by the second half of 2026 at the latest, we have Exxon's definitive final investment decision and the project can take off," he insisted.
On 26 January, in Afungi, during the resumption of the TotalEnergies megaproject after nearly five years of suspension due to terrorist attacks, Mozambique's president anticipated the start of the ExxonMobil megaproject within approximately one year.
"Our government, in collaboration with the concessionaires, has been taking steps to ensure the sustainability of security measures in Cabo Delgado province and the country in general. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment (...) to ensure that, in a short while, within the next 12 to 18 months, we will return to this site to witness the start of construction of the Rovuma LNG," Chapo said at the time.
ExxonMobil announced on 20 November that it had lifted the 'force majeure' declaration for the natural gas megaproject in Cabo Delgado, an essential step towards the FID, scheduled for 2026.
The oil company suspended the Rovuma LNG gas project, one of the largest in Africa and valued at US$30 billion (€25.9 billion), following the terrorist attacks in 2021.
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