TotalEnergies and its Nigerian partner, AMNI, have taken the Final Investment Decision (FID) to develop the Ima offshore gas field in Nigeria, with production expected to begin in 2028.
The development covers the Ima gas field across Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 112 and 117 in shallow waters near Bonny Island, Rivers State.
Under the project, TotalEnergies will operate the development with a 40 per cent interest, while AMNI holds the remaining 60 per cent stake.
The field is expected to produce at a plateau rate of 350 million cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The gas will be transported through a 22-kilometre pipeline to the Nigeria LNG facility on Bonny Island. According to TotalEnergies and Reuters, production from Ima is expected to provide approximately one-third of the gas required for the ongoing Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion.
The Train 7 expansion is designed to increase Nigeria LNG’s liquefaction capacity from its current 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum. TotalEnergies holds a 15 per cent interest in Nigeria LNG.
TotalEnergies said the Ima development will use a single offshore platform connected to the LNG facility through the new pipeline.
The company also described the project as a lower-cost and lower-emissions gas development. The planned design includes electricity supplied from shore, no routine flaring, and permanent methane detection and monitoring.
The project is also expected to have a significant Nigerian-content component. TotalEnergies said all key contractors involved in the development will be Nigerian companies, while approximately 60 per cent of the workforce during the development phase is expected to come from host communities.
The Ima gas reserves have been known for years. AMNI says the gas reserves were identified above the Ima oil field, with appraisal drilling confirming more than 1.6 trillion cubic feet of lean gas reserves. TotalEnergies joined AMNI in the project through a joint venture arrangement in 2005.
The Final Investment Decision marks a new stage in efforts to develop Nigeria’s gas resources and provide additional feedstock for the country’s LNG export infrastructure.
Production from Ima is currently targeted for 2028.
