ExxonMobil announced on Thursday, 6 August, the selection of the consortium that will be responsible for the principal construction works on the Rovuma LNG liquefied natural gas megaproject. The decision represents a decisive step ahead of the Final Investment Decision (FID) and clears the way for a production start targeted for 2031.
In a statement cited by Lusa, ExxonMobil Mozambique, acting on behalf of the Area 4 partners, announced it had issued a letter of intent to the SMDC consortium, comprising Saipem, McDermott Energy Solutions, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, and China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation.
The selected consortium will be responsible for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services for the first phase of the project’s intermediate development. According to ExxonMobil, which serves as the delegated operator of Area 4, the contract will allow definition and planning work to advance as partners move closer to the FID — regarded as the final authorisation required before full project implementation.
“The selection of our EPC contractor for the onshore facilities marks an important milestone in advancing the Rovuma LNG project,” said Johanna Boothey, Chair of the Board of Directors of ExxonMobil Mozambique, as quoted in the statement.
The onshore component of the project envisages the construction of 12 liquefaction modules with a combined capacity to produce 18.6 million tonnes of LNG per year. Commercial production is scheduled to begin in 2031.
The Rovuma LNG project is led by ExxonMobil as delegated operator of Area 4, in partnership with Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Italian energy group Eni, Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), and XRG.
The contractor selection represents one of the most significant signals of the project’s revival since ExxonMobil lifted, in November last year, the force majeure declaration that had suspended development following the insurgent attacks recorded in Cabo Delgado in 2021.
In July, President Daniel Chapo stated he expected the FID to be approved by September, describing Rovuma LNG as “the largest private investment project on the African continent”, with an estimated value of around US$20 billion.
“We are making good progress with Exxon,” President Chapo said, adding that Mozambican authorities were working to ensure the FID was signed before the end of the year. ExxonMobil also plans to develop certain infrastructure in coordination with TotalEnergies’ Area 1 project, where construction resumed in January after nearly five years of suspension due to the armed attacks in Cabo Delgado.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/07/oilgas/exxonmobil-anuncia-escolha-de-empreiteiro-para-avancar-com-o-rovuma-lng/
