Maputo, Nov. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - ExxonMobil is set to follow TotalEnergies into Rovuma LNG, one of the largest projects of its kind in Africa, after the French multinational lifted its “force majeure” on the mega gas project in Mozambique because security conditions in Cabo Delgado have improved.
"Total has just lifted its “force majeure” case. We are reviewing and trying to do the same, so I would say that the project is now moving forward and we feel very good about that (...) and we are working closely with Total in that regard," said Darren Woods, chief executive of the US oil company, in a conference call with investors on 31 October from Texas, United States.
According to Woods' statements on that call, to present the third quarter results and to which Lusa had access on Monday, the situation of ExxonMobil's mega-project, valued at US$30 billion (€26 billion), still pending approval of the Final Investment Decision (FID), is "very good at the moment" and relations with the Mozambican government "are very strong".
In addition, the CEO added, "the security situation has improved dramatically," alluding to the terrorist attacks that have been taking place in Cabo Delgado for eight years and which in 2021 led TotalEnergies to invoke the “force majeure” clause to suspend construction of the Afungi complex, which will share infrastructure with ExxonMobil, both onshore, operating from the Rovuma Basin in northern Mozambique.
ExxonMobil had previously predicted the Final Investment Decision approval for the end of 2025 and then for the beginning of 2026, and the start of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports in 2030, with an expected capacity for the so-called Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin of 18 million tonnes per year (mtpa), the largest projected in Africa.
The Area 1 project, worth US$20 billion (€17.3 billion) and led by TotalEnergies, which is in the process of resuming four years later, is expected to start LNG deliveries in 2029 with a capacity of 13 mtpa.
Currently, but offshore in the same basin, the consortium led by Italian oil company Eni already produces around seven mtpa through the Coral South floating platform, which started up in 2022. In October, that consortium signed the the Final Investment Decision for the second platform of its kind, Coral Norte, which will double LNG production from 2028, in this case with an investment of US$7.2 billion.
In 2024, a study by the consulting firm Deloitte concluded that Mozambique's gas reserves represent potential revenues of US$100 billion (€96.2 billion).
This year alone, even before the remaining operations come on stream, Mozambique's estimated gas production is 5.4 billion cubic metres, making it the sixth largest producer in Africa.
In October last year, ExxonMobil chose the American company McDermott to form a consortium to prepare the engineering design for its mega natural gas production project in Mozambique, to be completed this year, prior to the the Final Investment Decision.
According to information from the American consulting firm, McDermott was then chosen to lead the consortium also formed by Saipem and China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation, with up to 16 months from that time to complete the technical and engineering design, known as FEED (Front End Engineering Design), for the Rovuma LNG project.
"The project includes the liquefaction and export of natural gas extracted from the Area 4 offshore fields off the Afungi peninsula in Mozambique [Cabo Delgado]," according to information from McDermott previously reported by Lusa.
In addition to ExxonMobil, the consortium also includes Italy's Eni and China's China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which hold a 70% stake in the Area 4 Exploration and Production Concession Contract.
PVJ/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
