Eni, as Upstream Delegated Operator of Area 4 on behalf of its partners ExxonMobil, CNPC, GALP, KOGAS and ENH, announces that the Coral South Project has safely achieved the introduction of hydrocarbons to the Coral Sul Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) plant from the Coral South reservoir offshore Mozambique.
Following the introduction of gas in the plant, Coral Sul FLNG will now be ready to achieve its first LNG cargo in the second half of 2022, adding Mozambique to the LNG-producing countries.
Hydrocarbons introduction comes after the safe and timely conclusion of the offshore commissioning activities. The FLNG arrived at the final operating site offshore Mozambique in early January 2022; mooring and connection to six underwater production wells were finalized in March and May 2022, respectively.
The Coral South project achieved Final Investment Decision in 2017; FLNG fabrication and construction activities started in September 2018 (Hull first steel cut), and were completed in 38 months as planned, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with a FLNG Sail Away, from South Korea to Mozambique, on November 2021. While performing the construction activities in Korea, several significant activities were undertaken in Mozambique, with support from the Mozambican authorities, including the ultra-deep waters (2,000m wd) Drilling and Completion and Offshore Installation campaign that involved the highest technological and operational skills.
Coral-Sul FLNG has been implemented with an energy optimization approach, integrated in the design via a systematic analysis of energy efficiency improvements. These include among others, zero flaring during normal operations, use of thermal efficient aero-derivative gas turbines for refrigerant compressors and generation, use of Dry Low NOx technology to reduce NOx emission and waste heat recovery systems for the process.
About Coral Sul FLNG
The Coral Sul FLNG is 432 meters long and 66 meters wide, weights around 220,000 tons and has the capacity to accommodate up to 350 people in its eight-story Living Quarter module. The facility is located at a water-depth of around 2,000 meters and is kept in position by means of 20 mooring lines that totally weight 9,000 tons.
Coral Sul FLNG has a gas liquefaction capacity of 3.4 million tons per year (MTPA) and will put in production 450 billion cubic meters of gas from the giant Coral reservoir, located in the offshore Rovuma Basin. Coral-Sul FLNG is the first floating LNG facility ever deployed in the deep waters of the African continent.
Eni has been present in Mozambique since 2006. Between 2011 and 2014, the company discovered supergiant natural gas resources in the Rovuma basin, in the Coral, Mamba Complex and Agulha reservoirs, holding estimated 2,400 billion cubic metres of gas in place. Eni also holds exploration rights to offshore blocks A5-B, Z5-C and Z5-D in the Angoche and Zambezi basins.
Area 4 is operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A. (MRV), an incorporated joint venture owned by Eni, ExxonMobil and CNPC, which holds a 70 percent interest in the Area 4 exploration and production concession contract. In addition to MRV, Galp, KOGAS and ENH (Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos E.P.) each hold a 10 percent interest in Area 4. Eni is the offshore Delegated Operator and is leading the construction and operation of the floating liquefied natural gas facility on behalf of MRV.
