TotalEnergies SE and Nigerian independent AMNI International Petroleum Development Co. have approved an $800 million investment to develop the Ima gas field offshore Nigeria, ending nearly five decades of inactivity around one of the country’s long-stranded offshore gas discoveries.
The partners reached the Final Investment Decision for the project, which covers parts of OML 112 and OML 117 in shallow waters near Bonny Island. TotalEnergies operates the project with a 40% stake, while AMNI holds the remaining 60%.
The partners will develop the field with a single offshore platform connected to the Nigeria LNG terminal through a 22-kilometer pipeline. TotalEnergies owns a 15% stake in Nigeria LNG.
The project targets first gas production in 2028 and expects output to reach 350 million cubic feet per day at plateau. This is equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil per day.
Ima is expected to provide about one-third of the gas needed for Nigeria LNG’s Train 7 expansion. The expansion will increase the plant’s liquefaction capacity from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per year.
Ima is one of several offshore gas discoveries in Nigeria that remained undeveloped for decades. Operators focused mainly on oil production, while LNG developers relied more on associated gas than standalone non-associated gas fields.
Nigeria changed the investment outlook after introducing fiscal incentives for non-associated gas projects. These incentives have helped make projects such as Ima commercially viable after decades of inactivity.
TotalEnergies has identified these incentives as an important factor behind its recent gas project approvals in Nigeria. The Ima project follows the Ubeta gas project, which TotalEnergies approved in 2024 and expects to start producing next year.
“We are very pleased to announce the FID for the Ima gas project, marking a new milestone in the deployment of our integrated gas strategy in Nigeria,” said Nicolas Terraz, President of Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies.
He added that Ima follows the Ubeta project and shows how the company can develop new gas resources following the Nigerian Government’s incentives for non-associated gas projects.
Terraz said the project will support Nigeria LNG’s gas supply and create value for its partners and Nigeria.
TotalEnergies plans to use a simplified platform design, electricity from shore instead of gas turbines, and no routine flaring at Ima. The facility will also use continuous methane detection and monitoring.
The project includes significant Nigerian-content requirements, with the partners awarding all major contracting packages to local companies. TotalEnergies and AMNI expect about 60% of the development workforce to come from communities near the field.
The Ima project adds to renewed investment in Nigeria’s upstream gas sector as international and indigenous companies work to secure gas supplies for expanding LNG capacity at Bonny Island.
When completed, Nigeria LNG’s Train 7 expansion will raise the facility’s liquefaction capacity to 30 million tonnes per year. This will increase the need for new gas supply sources such as Ima and Ubeta.
source: https://businessday.ng/
African Energy Council