The operator of Rovuma Area 4 in Mozambique is about to establish a second floating platform, named Coral Norte, to double offshore natural gas production off the northern Mozambican coast, according to a preliminary report.

The preliminary environmental feasibility study notes that the Area 4 operator sees this new platform as the most effective way to increase the recovery and monetisation of gas from the Coral reservoir resources, referring to a second FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) project.

This report was produced by Consultec for the oil company Eni, the consortium's delegated operator, and became public via the news portal Zitamar.

The planned investment is seven billion dollars (around 6.3 billion euros) and is still awaiting approval from the Government of Mozambique.

If everything goes as planned, the platform should begin producing in the second half of 2027, which could happen even before the onshore projects, which are hampered by security concerns relating to the armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado.

Coral Norte will be stationed 10 kilometres north of Coral Sul, which began production in November and was the first project to tap the vast reserves of the Rovuma basin.

The Coral Norte FLNG project will be a copy of Coral Sul, located 50 kilometres off the coast and connected to six subsea wells 2,000 metres deep.

With this addition, Area 4 will produce seven mtpa (million tonnes per annum).

According to the initial study, none of the impacts identified is considered fatal. Several potentially significant social and environmental impacts were identified, such as potential atmospheric emissions and noise; however, suitable mitigation measures are known for these impacts.

The report assures that all the impacts identified will be duly analysed and mitigated in the Environmental Impact Assessment phase, which will begin shortly and is expected to include public consultation sessions.

The amount of work required will vary over the life of the Coral Norte FLNG project. The preliminary environmental feasibility report states that between drilling the wells and the start of operations, the project is expected to employ up to 1,400 people, but mainly foreign specialists. During the operational phase, up to 900 jobs could be created, with more opportunities for Mozambican workers.

Area 4 is operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), a joint venture owned by ExxonMobil, Eni and CNPC (China), with a 70% stake in the concession contract.

Galp, Kogas (South Korea) and the Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (Mozambique) each hold a 10% stake.