Mozambique’s Energy Minister Estevão Pale said on Friday that the government has not yet received an official request from TotalEnergies to lift the force majeure on its $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, but he remains optimistic about the oil major’s plans to resume development this summer.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo after a meeting with Japan’s Industry Minister Muto Yoji, Minister Pale said the force majeure will be lifted once the project operator determines that conditions are safe to restart operations.
“We, as the government, are doing everything we can to support the resumption of the project,” Pale stated.
“We are working closely with all project partners to create favorable security conditions for a restart.” He also noted that the overall security situation has improved significantly.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné, speaking at an energy conference in Tokyo earlier in the week, said he expects the project to resume development “this summer.”
The Mozambique LNG project has been under force majeure since 2021 due to insurgent attacks in the Cabo Delgado region.
The project involves the development of the Golfinho and Atum offshore gas fields in Area 1, as well as the construction of a two-train liquefaction plant with an annual capacity of 13.12 million metric tons.
TotalEnergies is the operator of the project with a 26.5% stake, followed by Mitsui & Co with 20%. Mozambique’s state-owned ENH holds 15%, while Indian state companies and Thailand’s PTTEP own the remaining shares.
