Maputo, May 6 (AIM) – The general manager in Mozambique of the American oil and gas company ExxonMobil, Arne Gibbs, has announced that the company is planning to make a final decision about the resumption of its projects in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
According to the general manager, the decisions in question may be made by the end of 2025.
ExxonMobil is leading the construction and operation of all future natural gas liquefaction and related facilities for the Area 4 deep water block off the Cabo Delgado coast, operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), a joint venture owned by ExxonMobil, the Italian energy company ENI, and CNPC of China.
However, the work was suspended indefinitely after an armed attack carried out by Islamist terrorists against Palma town in March 2021.
According to Gibbs, cited by the Portuguese news agency. Lusa, “We are optimistic, we are moving forward, but we acknowledge that there are still challenges. The Final Investment Decision will only be made at the end of next year, fulfilling the forecast made in July to start in 2025.”
Gibbs believes that it is fundamental to go ahead with the projects, which were interrupted as result of the jihadist attacks.
He explained that the oil company has completed the preliminary engineering and design work for the 18 million tonnes per year liquefied natural gas project in the Rovuma Basin, and that the group of engineers and designers will begin the project “in the coming months”.
As for the extreme violence carried out by Islamist terrorists, Gibbs said “there have been significant improvements in the safety situation since we started in 2021, but we know there is still more work to be done.”
(AIM)
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