Mozambique approves Anadarko’s USD20 billion natural gas plan

Pedestrians walk past parked vehicles outside a gas station in Maputo

Mozambique’s council of ministers approved the development plan for Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s liquefied natural-gas project in the north of the nation, an investment estimated at about USD20 billion.

The government announced the decision in a statement on Tuesday. The next major requirement that the Anadarko-led consortium has to meet before reaching a final investment decision on the Area 1 project is to sign enough sales and purchase agreements, according to the company.

Anadarko and its partners have agreed the price and volumes for 5.1 million metric tons a year of gas production, out of the 8.5 million tons required to reach financial close, the company said in a statement Tuesday. During the last quarter of 2017, it signed an agreement with Tohoku Electric Power Co. of Japan to sell it gas.

Anadarko said it’s already started resettling communities from the land where it plans to build its liquefied natural-gas plant.

Exxon Mobil Corp. and Eni SpA are developing another gas project near Anadarko’s. The development of Mozambique’s gas deposits could make the southeastern African nation the world’s fourth-biggest natural gas exporter. Matthew Hill, Borges Nhamire, Bloomberg