Page 13 - AfrOil Week 05 2021

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

Saipem’s XSIGHT unit will be working on the to their flexibility and robustness.”
Virginia facilities, with its upstream and LNG Renergen has struck deals with South Afri-
product manager saying the company’s technol- ca’s Bulk Hauliers International Transport and
ogies “for small to mid-scale natural gas lique- France’s Total on the supply of LNG from Vir-
faction plants fully fit for this application, thanks ginia for vehicle fuel. ™

Total downplays possibility of

shift in Mozambique LNG logistics

MOZAMBIQUE FRANCE’S Total has downplayed reports that
it is scouting out new logistical solutions for
Mozambique LNG.
Total, its partners and its contractors have
been using Pemba, the capital of Mozambique’s
northern Cabo Delgado Province, as their base
for work on the $23bn project. But last week,
Carta de Moçambique, an independent Mozam-
bican newspaper, said that the Mozambique
LNG consortium hoped to shift to a second
base of operations on Mayotte, a French over-
seas department in the Indian Ocean.
According to the newspaper, Total execu-
tives have already begun negotiations with the
island’s administration on the establishment
of this base, along with equipment storage and
other issues. The French major will use the new
facility for offshore operations, it said.
The French major responded by dismissing
the Carta de Moçambique report and declaring
that it intended to continue relying on Pemba
as it worked on Mozambique LNG. Pemba’s
port facilities will continue to handle operations
related to the construction of Mozambique
LNG’s onshore complex on the Afungi Penin-
sula, as well as work at Area 1, the offshore block
that will provide natural gas for the liquefaction
plant within the complex, it said in a statement The Mozambique LNG plant will process gas from Area 1 (Image: Total)
sent to UK-based Agência de Informação de
Moçambique (AIM). meet all legal and contractual obligations and
Moreover, it said, TechnipFMC, Mozam- take appropriate steps to support and develop
bique LNG’s main contractor, will still share the local businesses and the local workforce, while
French major’s facilities in Pemba. (The port also advancing the project on time and within
is owned by CFM, the national rail and port budget,” it commented.
company.) Questions about Total’s plans are probably
Total also indicated, however, that Mayotte related to the recent uptick in civil unrest within
might play a role in the project. It told AIM Cabo Delgado. Since 2017, many villages in the
that it was “investigating options to carry [out] province have come under attack from Ahlu
some offshore support operations in the region Sunnah Wa-Jamo (ASWJ), an Islamist group
to optimise part of its logistical chain and plan- that has links to the Islamic State (Daesh).
ning, including in Mayotte, by using existing Mozambique’s armed forces have tried to repel
infrastructure.” ASWJ and thwart its efforts to gain control of
Additionally, it stressed that it remained Cabo Delgado, but they have not been entirely
committed to its local content pledges, which successful.
call for awarding $2.5bn worth of contracts to A number of violent incidents have occurred
companies that are owned by Mozambicans or in places very close to Mozambique LNG’s con-
registered in Mozambique. struction site, and Total reported in earrly Janu-
“Our contractors have a central role in this, ary that it evacuated some staff members after a
and our focus is on ensuring all contractors series of attacks. ™

Week 05 03•February•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13