Coral South FLNG Terminal

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Coral South FLNG Terminal, also known as Coral Sul FLNG Teminal, is an operating LNG terminal in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique.

Location

The map below shows the approximate location of the Coral South project, in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of Cabo Delgado Province.

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Project details

• Operator: Eni
• Owner: Coral South LNG (100%)
• Parent: Eni SpA (25%), ExxonMobil (25%), China National Petroleum Corporation (20%), ENH (10%), KOGAS (10%), ADNOC (10%)
• Vessel Name: Coral Sul FLNG
• Location: Coral Gas Field, Rovuma Basin, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique
• Coordinates: -10.9, 41.2 (approximate)
• Capacity: 3.4 mtpa, 0.49 bcfd
• Status: Operating
• Type: Export
• Cost: US$7 billion
• FID status: FID (2017)
• Start Year: 2022
• Financing: In 2017 debt financing totalling US$4.677 billion was agreed in seven tranches with the involvement of the export credit agencies of China, France, Italy and South Korea and private banks based in those countries, as well as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
• Associated infrastructure: Coral North FLNG Terminal

Background

In November 2016, Italian oil & gas company Eni authorized investment for the first phase of its Coral South project, under which it would construct six deepsea gas wells and a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility off the coast of Mozambique. The project would have a capacity of 3.4 million metric tons per year (mtpa), or 0.49 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd). The projected cost is US$7 billion, and the projected start date is 2022.

In June 2017, Eni made its final investment decision (FID) on this first phase of the project. Eni will use debt to finance 60% of the project's cost, borrowing from a consortium of 15 banks. As part of a 20-year deal, all LNG produced in the field will be sold to BP. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract was awarded to a consortium of three companies: the UK's TechnipFMC, Japan's JGC Corporation, and Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries. Later that month, Eni gave a contract for supply of subsea production systems, equipment, and services to GE Oil & Gas, a subsidiary of U.S. firm General Electric.

In January 2020, developers announced the launch of the terminal's hull in Geoje, South Korea. The launch indicated project progress, which exceeded 60% completion and was still in line with production start-up by 2022.

In June 2021, Eni confirmed that the project is on track to start up as planned in 2022. This is despite the militant violence which has affected the region surrounding the project since March 2021 and which has caused Total to declare force majeure on its larger Mozambique LNG Terminal project. A spokesperson for Eni said, "We confirm that so far the violence in the north of Mozambique has not affected the Coral South project timeline and we confirm startup in 2022 as per schedule".

At the naming and sail away ceremony for the Coral Sul FLNG, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea stated that the project would produce carbon-neutral LNG. The FLNG is the second largest in the world, and the largest in Africa.

In March 2022, the Coral Sul FLNG moored at the project. Production is expected to begin in the second half of 2022.

In October 2022, the floating terminal began operating. BP has contracted the entire output of Coral Sul for 20 years, having signed a free on board (FOB) contract with the project partners. According to the oil and gas market intelligence firm Welligence, "Compared with more traditional fixed-destination contracts, BP can therefore respond to market conditions by supplying buyers of the greatest need (and with the strongest purchasing power)."

A second, identical platform 10 kilometers away, Coral North FLNG Terminal, was under consideration as of June 2023.

In May 2024, the United Arab Emirates' ADNOC announced it had acquired Galp's 10% stake in the Area 4 concession of the Rovuma Basin, granting it a 10% stake in Rovuma LNG Terminal, Coral South FLNG Terminal, and Coral North FLNG Terminal.

Cost

Bloomberg reported in May 2017 that the Mozambique government encouraged two rival LNG projects, Anadarko Eni Mozambique LNG Terminal and Italy-based Eni Coral South FLNG Terminal, to work together to eliminate duplication of costly infrastructure. They ultimately agreed to a deal allowing them to develop independently while sharing onshore liquefaction infrastructure.