Maputo, 14 Sep (AIM) – The Italian energy company ENI has announced that it is looking for a partner to conduct offshore drilling operations in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
According to the announcement made on Wednesday by ENI, which already exports liquefied natural gas from the Coral Sul project, the rig to be contracted is expected to carry out drilling, completion and testing of four wells, with start-up scheduled for the third quarter of next year.
According to Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias”, Eni does not specify the objectives of the new drilling, but recently the Italian company has been preparing a second floating platform, a copy of the first, and called Coral Norte to double gas extraction from Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin.
The second platform is seen by ENI as the most efficient way of maximising the profitability of the gas resources discovered in the Coral reserve.
The planned investment in the second platform is budgeted at seven billion US dollars and will be subject to approval by the Mozambican government.
If the schedule is met, the second floating platform will begin production in the second half of 2027, which means it could start up before the onshore gas liquefaction projects, which depend on the consolidation of security conditions in the face of the threats from Islamic terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
(AIM)
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