CNOOC Begins Mozambique Drilling Next Month as Rovuma Basin LNG Projects Resume Development
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) plans to begin hydrocarbon exploration offshore Mozambique next month, targeting blocks awarded during the country’s sixth licensing round in 2022.
Mozambique’s Minister of Energy, Estêvão Pale, announced at Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town that preparations for drilling activities will commence in March.
He indicated that the government remains in the early stages of exploration across five to six additional blocks.
Offshore Blocks Awarded in Sixth Licensing Round
CNOOC Hong Kong, in partnership with Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), secured contracts for five offshore blocks located in the Save and Angoche areas.
These awards followed Mozambique’s sixth licensing round, launched in November 2021.
The round offered 16 exploration blocks across the Angoche, Save, Zambezi Delta and Rovuma Basin regions, covering more than 92,000 square kilometers.
According to Minister Pale, Mozambique does not intend to launch a new licensing round in the near term, as several areas from the previous round remain available for direct negotiation. Authorities will continue engaging potential investors under this framework.
LNG Developments in the Rovuma Basin
Mozambique has approved three major LNG development projects in the Rovuma Basin, one of the world’s largest natural gas provinces. However, only one project is currently operational.
Eni has been producing LNG from the Coral Sul floating platform since 2022. In October 2025, the company approved a second floating unit, Coral Norte.
The $7.2 billion project is expected to increase combined production capacity to approximately 7 million tonnes per year starting in 2028.
Onshore LNG developments led by TotalEnergies (Mozambique LNG) and ExxonMobil (Rovuma LNG) were suspended in 2021 following insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado province that forced operators to declare force majeure.
Improved security conditions allowed both companies to lift force majeure in 2025. TotalEnergies resumed construction activities in January and expects Mozambique LNG to reach a production capacity of up to 13 million tonnes per year from 2029.
ExxonMobil has indicated that construction on Rovuma LNG could begin within 12 to 18 months, with planned output of 18 million tonnes per year after 2030. The company aims to take a final investment decision within the current year.
With new offshore exploration set to begin and major LNG projects advancing, Mozambique is positioning itself to become a leading natural gas exporter in the coming decade.
