SINGAPORE, (The Southern African Times) – A massive $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique is on track to produce its first cargo in 2024 despite coronavirus pandemic disruptions globally, an executive from the operator of the project said on Tuesday.
Construction at the Mozambique LNG project is under way, with the first cargo expected to be delivered on schedule in 2024, said Rajnish Goswami, general manager of LNG Marketing at French oil and gas major Total TOTF.PA.
“As of now, the focus is on engineering and procurement and much of this stuff can be done through remote work so … we have been able to navigate the challenge of COVID pretty well and we are still maintaining the timeline of the project,” Goswami said, speaking at the Annual LNG and Hydrogen Gas Markets Asia virtual conference during the Singapore International Energy Week.
Total is the operator of the Mozambique LNG project, and obtained a $14.9 billion debt financing package in July to fund its roll-out.
The project includes the development of the Golfinho and Atum natural gas fields in the Offshore Area 1 concession, and the construction of a two-train liquefaction plant with a capacity of 13.12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).
About 11.1 mtpa of the capacity has been sold through various long-term contracts and the project will require 17 LNG vessels to deliver the cargoes, Goswami said.
