Eni Kicks Off Coral North FLNG Drilling Campaign Off Mozambique

SAIPEM 12000 drillship (Credit: Saipem)

Eni and its Area 4 partners have launched a drilling and completion campaign for the Coral North floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project offshore Mozambique, ahead of its planned start-up in 2028.

The campaign, expected to last approximately 10 months, will be carried out by ENH-Saipem Drilling Company using Saipem’s SAIPEM 12000 drillship.

Coral North is located in the northern part of the Coral reservoir in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, where Eni is developing the project alongside China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), ENH, KOGAS and XRG.

The drilling program marks the first time a company with Mozambican participation has assumed a direct operational role in offshore drilling, through the ENH-Saipem joint venture.

Coral North builds on the Coral South FLNG project, which was the first development to produce gas from the Rovuma Basin and has delivered more than 175 LNG cargoes to the market.

The Italian energy giant said the addition of Coral North is expected to bring Mozambique's LNG output to 7 million tonnes per annum when the project starts production in 2028.

Eni has been active in Mozambique since 2006 and discovered approximately 2,400 billion cubic metres of gas in place across the Coral, Mamba Complex and Agulha reservoirs between 2011 and 2014.