With 75 already done, Eni’s Coral Sul FLNG now sends out one weekly LNG shipment

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mozambique’s state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) has paid a visit to the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit offshore Mozambique, operated by Italian oil and gas major Eni. This unit currently produces enough for a weekly shipment of LNG and a condensate one every two months.

The visit by ENH CEO Ludovina Bernardo aimed to gain a closer look at the current state of production at the Coral Sul FLNG situated in the Coral reservoir within the Rovuma supergiant gas basin off the coast of Mozambique. The CEO was accompanied by a delegation including Cabo Delgado province’s Secretary of State, as well as company and provincial officials.

“This project consolidates our development agenda and proves Mozambique’s ability to attract investment to implement structural projects with a multiplier impact on our economy. On the other hand, we are pleased to have young Mozambicans on board this venture, which makes us understand that we are reaping the benefits of training the national workforce,” said Bernardo.

Bernardo and her delegation toured the 413-meter-long and 60-meter-wide FLNG unit, followed by a presentation on the project and its performance. Anchored in ultra-deep waters off the coast of Cabo Delgado province, the FLNG has been producing and exporting LNG and condensate since October 2022, followed by its first shipment one month later.

In addition to the operational Coral Sul FLNG facility, the Area 4 development encompasses the planned Coral North FLNG and the Rovuma LNG onshore facilities. The last two are expected to be sanctioned during 2024/25. The Coral Sul development can produce up to 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG, the same as the proposed Coral North development is expected to do. 

Following the plant performance acceptance certificate (PAC) and unit performance tests, Coral Sul began producing at levels that are said to exceed expectations – around 24,000 cbm of LNG per day, translating to one weekly LNG shipment and one bi-monthly condensate shipment. 

The project has carried out 75 LNG shipments and 11 condensate shipments since starting operations, hitting an important milestone on August 17, 2024, when the daily production registered a record 25,013 cubic meters (cbm) of LNG.

The Coral Sul FLNG project is operated by Eni on behalf of the Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), comprising the Italian major, ExxonMobil, and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), with a 70% stake. The remaining 30% is equally distributed between ENH, Kogas, and as of recently ADNOC, after it inked a deal to purchase a 10% share previously held by Galp.

MRV recently signed front-end engineering design (FEED) contracts enabling potential contractors to compete for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the Rvouma LNG project. One contract was won by JGC Holdings Corporation and Technip Energies and another one, for Rovuma LNG Phase 1, by a consortium comprising McDermott, Saipem, and CPECC.