Mozambique: Dutch Company Gains Towage Contract for Rovuma Basin

By Abdul Rahman Suagibu –

Photo Credit: Club of Mozambique

NEW AFRICA DAILY  NEWS, Freetown, Sierra Leone- The Dutch Company Smit Lamnalco has achieved victory on contract to supply integrated maritime services to the floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) unit in Area Four of the Rovuma Basin off the coast of the Northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado.

Smit Lamnalco is an internationally recognized supplier of Towage and related maritime services for oil and gas and other onshore and offshore terminals.

The FLNG unit is being connected by a consortium headed by the Italian energy Company – ENI and will propose to consideration to the Coral Smith gas field. The rough calculated reserves in this field are at least five trillion cubic feet. The water in this part of the Mozambique Channel is 2,000 meters deep and the FLNG unit will be anchored some 80 kilometers from the coast of the Palma District. The contract with Smit Lamnalco is for ten years. According to a release from the Dutch Company, it promises to install three new tugs “to provide escort, berthing and un – berthing of LNG carriers to the FLNG facility”.

A fourth ship, an offshore support vessel “will be utilized to provide logistical and marine services support”.

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with Coral FLNG to deliver safe and reliable marine services. We are proud that our in-depth knowledge of providing marine services to LNG facilities in one and offshore as well as over five decades of local content development expertise all around the world has been recognized by our client. We would like to thank them for demonstrating their faith in Smit Lamnalco by awarding the marine services contract to our company”, said Robart Jan Van Acker – Swit Lamnalco – Chief Executive Officer.

According to Maurizo Lanzo, the Managing Director of Coral FLNG, the contract signed with the Dutch Company also envisaged a plan for local content which includes training and employment for young Mozambicans.

ENI is the operator for Rovuma Basin Area Four with 50% participation. ENI has signed a contract with US oil and gas giant – Exxon Mobil, under which Exxon Mobil will purchase half of ENI’s shares, reducing its holding to 25%.

The other partners in the Area Four are the China National Petroleum Corporation (20%), Kogas of South Korea (10%), Galp Emergia of Portugal (10%) and Mozambique’s own National Hydrocarbon Company, ENH (10%).

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Suagibu Reports,  Africa Correspondent

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