Rovuma Offshore Contract Sets Stage for Development of 18 Wells in Mozambique Gas Project
Key Facts
SLB announced on September 29 that its OneSubsea joint venture had won a contract from ExxonMobil Moçambique to supply subsea production systems for the first phase of the Rovuma LNG project in Mozambique. The contract covers production trees, subsea manifolds, umbilicals and control systems, along with engineering, manufacturing and installation services. It is part of preparations for the offshore development, which is linked to a broader plan to drill 18 wells and build a network of subsea pipelines and manifolds. ExxonMobil said in an earlier announcement that Area 4 partners were advancing toward a final investment decision during 2026. The contract puts offshore production equipment on the project’s preparatory track ahead of that decision.
The OneSubsea contract followed ExxonMobil’s announcement in August that it had awarded preliminary contracts worth about $1.1 billion for long-lead equipment and early site activities, supporting the project’s first phase in Cabo Delgado. The company said the package included subsea production systems, valves and subsea pipelines. Its largest contracts went to OneSubsea in the UK and Norway, while work in Mozambique was awarded to Aker Solutions Mozambique. SLB’s announcement adds detail to the scope of that work, covering control systems, umbilicals and installation services as well as equipment supply. These contracts are part of spending ahead of the final investment decision, while the move to construction remains contingent on that decision.
The offshore plan includes 18 initial subsea wells, according to ExxonMobil’s project page, at depths of up to 1,700 meters. The company says the wells are needed to meet its target of starting operations in 2030. ExxonMobil’s page on the onshore Rovuma development describes a facility with 12 modular liquefaction units and total capacity of 18.6 million tonnes of LNG a year, with startup expected in 2031. The 2030 and 2031 dates differ between the plans for the first offshore phase and the onshore facility estimate on the company’s page. The International Monetary Fund’s table, meanwhile, lists the project’s production start in 2031, in line with the onshore facility estimate.
ExxonMobil and Eni are working on different parts of Area 4: Eni leads offshore operations, while ExxonMobil is responsible for developing the onshore LNG facility, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce guide published in April 2026. ExxonMobil’s current page says it holds an indirect 25% stake in Area 4. Mozambique’s National Petroleum Institute says Mozambique Rovuma Venture owns 70% of the area, with the National Hydrocarbons Company and Galp each holding 10%. These stakes set out the partnership framework for the project’s development, but do not confirm any change in ownership. Available information also does not confirm the terms of an asset swap between ExxonMobil and Eni or details of the increase in ExxonMobil’s stake reported in headlines on October 30.
Rovuma is part of a group of LNG projects in Mozambique that includes Coral South, which began production in 2022. The IMF expects Coral North to start production in 2030, while it lists production from the ExxonMobil-led Coral Mamba project as targeted for 2031, with approval expected in 2026. Those dates remain subject to project progress and approvals, while Area 4 partners are targeting a final investment decision during 2026. On public financing, the fund estimated that the National Hydrocarbons Company’s project-related debt stood at $4.6 billion in 2024, or 19.6% of GDP. It forecast that the debt would rise to $20 billion by 2045, equivalent to 22.3% of GDP.
ExxonMobil estimated that the Rovuma project would generate about $6 billion in economic activity in Mozambique and provide opportunities for about 7,500 Mozambicans during construction. The company’s director in Mozambique said contractor selections were positioning the project to begin construction after the final investment decision and to deliver its first LNG cargo on schedule. The statement links preparatory contracts to the investment decision, while the announced schedule for the first cargo remains dependent on the project’s progress. The final investment decision remains the next milestone identified by the partners for 2026. Available information has not confirmed details of the stake-swap deal discussed in October 30 headlines, so it is not possible to determine whether it would change current ownership percentages or terms.