Coral/Coral South

Location and Geology

The Coral South FLNG project is situated in the southern part of Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, approximately 80 kilometers off the coast of the Palma bay in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
The project operates at a water depth of over 2,000 meters, making it the world's first ultra-deepwater FLNG facility.

The Coral South gas field was discovered in May 2012. It is estimated to hold around 16 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable gas, with the broader Area 4 holding approximately 85 tcf of gas reserves.

The project was sanctioned for development by Eni and its partners in 2017, with the financial investment decision (FID) made in December 2017. Construction began in September 2018.
The hull assembly for the Coral Sul FLNG started in July 2019, and the hull was successfully launched in January 2020. The FLNG was expected to sail away in the second half of 2021, with gas production starting in mid-2022.

The project is operated by Eni through Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), which holds a 70% interest in the concession. Other partners include Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) of Mozambique, Galp Energia of Portugal, and KOGAS of South Korea, each holding a 10% stake.
MRV is a joint venture between Eni (35.7%), ExxonMobil (35.7%), and CNPC (28.6%).

The Coral Sul FLNG is the first floating natural gas liquefaction unit built for the African continent and the third of its kind globally.
The FLNG vessel measures 424.5 meters long, 66 meters wide, and 38.5 meters tall, with a gross weight of approximately 220,000 tons. It is anchored using 20 mooring lines with a combined weight of about 9,000 tons.
The facility has a production capacity of 3.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG and 480,000 tonnes of gas condensate per year. It uses dual mixed refrigerant technology for gas liquefaction and has a total LNG storage capacity of more than 227,840 cubic meters and gas condensate storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.

The FLNG unit is equipped with four turbo-compression trains and four turbo-generation units, both driven by aero derivative gas turbines, for gas refrigeration and power generation. Boil-off gas (BOG) and booster compressors are used to re-liquefy excessive boil-off gas.
The project involves six subsea wells tied back to the FLNG vessel using three cluster manifolds. The drilling works for these wells commenced in 2019 with the Saipem 12000 rig, with each well having an average depth of approximately 3,000 meters.

The engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning, and start-up (EPCIC) contract for the Coral South FLNG facility was awarded to a consortium led by TechnipFMC, JGC Corporation, and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in June 2017. SHI is responsible for the hull and topside fabrication, while TechnipFMC and JGC handle the engineering and procurement for the FLNG topside and overall project management.

The project includes a Grievance Mechanism and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan to ensure proactive and structured engagement with local communities and to address any complaints or grievances. The project also focuses on sustainability, including initiatives for environmental protection, such as the restoration of mangroves, and providing access to water, health, and education for local communities.

The Coral South project marks Mozambique's entry as an energy-producing country, contributing to its economic development and global gas supplies. The first LNG cargo from the project was produced and shipped, marking a significant milestone in Mozambique's energy sector.

The Coral Sul FLNG is designed to operate for 25 years, producing 3.4 million tonnes of LNG annually. The facility also houses living quarters for up to 350 people on board.