Coral Sul delivers 100th LNG cargo offshore Mozambique

The Coral Sul floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, located in Mozambique’s Area 4 offshore development, has delivered its 100th LNG cargo.

The milestone reflects more than 1.5 years of operations at Africa’s first FLNG facility and comes as interest in floating production solutions continues to grow.

Coral Sul FLNG is operated by Eni on behalf of Area 4 partners ExxonMobil, China National Petroleum Corp, Korea Gas Corp, Galp Energia and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos.

Production began in November 2022, with the first cargo departing shortly thereafter.

“This is the first milestone of a long series,” Eni stated in a release marking the delivery of the initial cargo in 2022, a sentiment now borne out by the 100th cargo departure.

The company has not publicly disclosed the destination or volume of the latest cargo, although the FLNG unit is designed to produce up to 3.4M tonnes per annum of LNG.

Built in South Korea and towed to Mozambique waters, 432-m Coral Sul is moored over the Coral South reservoir in the Rovuma Basin, some 80 km offshore. It is the first FLNG unit deployed in deep waters on the African continent and is designed to remain in place and operate autonomously for more than 25 years.

According to Eni, the facility incorporates gas liquefaction, storage and offloading capabilities, and can accommodate up to 350 personnel on board.

In parallel with technical achievements, Coral Sul also represents a commercial and strategic effort to monetise Mozambique’s offshore resources through long-term LNG sales.

Eni has stated that all volumes from Coral Sul are committed under a 20-year sale and purchase agreement with BP.

While global FLNG development has faced constraints from cost inflation, scheduling pressure and limited shipyard capacity, it remains an increasingly relevant option for unlocking offshore gas.

Research and consulting firm Rystad Energy anticipates more than US$35Bn in FLNG-related investments could be committed globally in the next five years. In its analysis of the sector, Rystad Energy observed floating LNG has “proven its technical viability,” pointing to Coral Sul as a benchmark for execution in challenging offshore environments.

For Mozambique, the Coral Sul development is seen as a first phase in the broader development of the Rovuma Basin. The larger Mamba and Coral North projects remain under discussion, with decisions expected to depend heavily on market conditions and the success of Coral Sul in sustained delivery and performance.