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ExxonMobil’s upstream chief, Dan Ammann, announced the lifting of force majeure in a social media post on Thursday.
He said that ExxonMobil expects a final investment decision in 2026 and first LNG production in 2030.
This move follows a recent announcment by France’s TotalEnergies on lifting the force majure on the 12.8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Mozambique LNG project.
TotalEnergies declared force majeure on the project in April 2021 and withdrew all personnel from the site due to new attacks.
ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods recently addressed a question during the company’s earnings call regarding Rovuma LNG in Mozambique and whether an FID is expected in early 2026.
“I would say where we are at with Mozambique right now is in a very good place. We have got very strong relationships with the government there. We have got a really good project concept working our way through,” he said.
Woods said that the security situation there has “improved dramatically.”
“I think TotalEnergies just lifted their force majeure. We are looking at and are in the process of trying to do the same. So I would say that project is now moving ahead, and we feel really good about that. As does the government of Mozambique. Working very closely with TotalEnergies on that. So I think it is in a really good place,” he said.
EPC contract
Last year, Houston-based McDermott, through a consortium with Italy’s Saipem and China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation, won the FEED contract for the Rovuma LNG project.
In addition, France’s Technip Energies and Japan’s JGC also announced the FEED award for the project.
The two joint ventures are competing to win the EPC contract.
Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), which, besides ExxonMobil, includes Italy’s Eni and China’s CNPC, is developing the project.
MRV operates the deepwater Area 4 block in the Rovuma basin off Mozambique, which will feed the planned LNG export plant on the Afungi peninsula from the Mamba reservoirs.
The joint venture holds a 70 percent interest in the Area 4 exploration and production concession contract.
In addition to MRV, Galp, Kogas, and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos each hold a 10 percent interest in Area 4.
ExxonMobil is leading the construction and operation of the liquefaction and related facilities on behalf of MRV, and Eni is leading the construction and operation of the upstream facilities.