Maputo, Aug. 18, 2026 (Lusa) - ExxonMobil has awarded pre-investment contracts worth $1.1 billion (€947 million) for critical equipment at the Rovuma LNG project in Mozambique, bringing it closer to the final investment decision for the gas mega-project.
In a statement, ExxonMobil Mozambique, on behalf of the Area 4 partners, announced the award of contracts for the procurement and manufacture of equipment deemed essential for the first phase of the Rovuma LNG development in Cabo Delgado, one of the largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in Africa.
According to the US oil company, the contracts cover engineering services, as well as the procurement and manufacture of subsea production systems, large-diameter production valves and offshore gas pipelines.
The company considers that the award represents a milestone in the project's progress and demonstrates «the commitment of the Area 4 partners as they move towards a Final Investment Decision (FID)».
«The award of these contracts represents another important step forward for the Rovuma LNG project and reflects the strong commitment of the Area 4 partners to the responsible development of Mozambique's world-class natural gas resources,» said Johanna Boothey, managing director and chair of the board of directors of ExxonMobil in Mozambique, in the statement.
«By securing critical long-term equipment, we are positioning the project for efficient execution and supporting the long-term economic potential of this strategic investment for Mozambique,» she added.
The largest contract was awarded to OneSubsea UK Limited and OneSubsea AS, with work to be carried out in Mozambique with the support of Aker Solutions Mozambique, Limitada, involving engineering, procurement, fabrication and production services relating to subsea production systems, control systems and umbilicals.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after ExxonMobil revealed the selection of the SMDC consortium – comprising Saipem, McDermott Energy Solutions, Daewoo Engineering & Construction and China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation – for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the first phase of the project's onshore development.
The Rovuma LNG project is led by ExxonMobil, as the delegated operator of Area 4, in partnership with ENH, CNPC, ENI, KOGAS and XRG.
In an interview with Lusa in July, Mozambican president, Daniel Chapo, said he expected the FID to be taken by September, describing the Rovuma LNG project as «the largest private investment project on the African continent», valued at around $20 billion (€17.2 billion).
The onshore development involves the construction of 12 liquefaction modules, with a total production capacity of 18.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year, and operational start-up is scheduled for 2031.
In November, ExxonMobil lifted the force majeure declaration that had kept the project development on hold since the 2021 insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado.
Mozambique has approved three major projects to exploit the gas reserves in the Rovuma Basin, which are ranked among the largest in the world.
In addition to Rovuma LNG, with a projected capacity of 18.6 million tonnes per year, TotalEnergies plans to begin LNG exports from Area 1 in 2029, with a capacity of 13 million tonnes per year.
Meanwhile, the Italian company Eni has been producing since 2022 via the Coral Sul floating platform and plans to double production from 2028 onwards with the Coral Norte unit, whilst a third unit is currently under consideration.
The Rovuma LNG project could generate around $150 billion (€131 billion) in revenue for the Mozambican government over 30 years of operation.
A study by Standard Bank also estimates an annual impact of around $11 billion (€9.6 billion) on Mozambique's Gross Domestic Product and the creation of more than 150,000 jobs.
PVJ/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
