Eni Starts Up Phase 2 of Congo LNG Ahead of Schedule

(Credit: Eni)

Eni has started up Phase 2 of its Congo LNG project ahead of schedule, following the arrival of the Nguya floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit into Congolese waters and the introduction of gas into the new infrastructure.

Eni said it expects the first LNG cargo to be exported in early 2026.

Phase 2 includes three production platforms, the Scarabeo 5 gas treatment and compression unit, and the Nguya FLNG, which has a liquefaction and export capacity of up to 3 million tonnes per annum, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres per year.

The expanded offshore configuration enables full development of the Nené and Litchendjili gas fields in the Marine XII license. It also allows flexible management of production volumes between the Nguya FLNG and the smaller Tango FLNG, which has been operating since late 2023.

Eni said Phase 2 was delivered ahead of schedule, coming online just 35 months after construction of the Nguya FLNG began, setting what the company described as a new benchmark for execution speed in the sector.

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A significant share of the construction and commissioning work was carried out in Congo, with the company highlighting the project’s role in expanding local industrial capacity and workforce skills.

The 376-metre Nguya FLNG unit incorporates technologies aimed at lowering its carbon footprint and can process gas with varying compositions, enabling future tie-ins from nearby fields.

Scarabeo 5, converted from a drilling rig, also integrates decarbonization features intended to demonstrate industrial reuse and circularity.

Eni has operated in the Republic of the Congo for more than five decades and is developing gas resources to support the country’s power generation and transition plans. It supplies natural gas to the Centrale Électrique du Congo, which provides 70% of national electricity, and is helping upgrade transmission infrastructure, including the high-voltage line between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville.