MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. The Republic of the Congo has started exporting liquified natural gas as it produced the first batch at the Marine XII project of Italy’s Eni and Lukoil.
"With the first cargo, the Republic of the Congo enters the group of LNG exporting countries, opening up opportunities for economic growth while contributing to global energy balance," Eni said in a statement.
The project, situated within the Marine XII permit, will achieve a plateau gas liquefaction capacity of approximately 4.5 bln cubic meters per annum and will mark zero flaring from operated activities in country. The volumes will be marketed by Eni, strengthening and expanding the company’s LNG portfolio, and supporting efforts towards energy security and transition, the company said.
"The Congo LNG project, sanctioned in December 2022, came on stream after just 1 year, in line with the initial timeline: an achievement made possible by Eni's distinctive phased and parallelized approach and its highly efficient execution plan," the statement reads. The first LNG cargo is currently being loaded and will sail to Piombino’s regasification terminal, in Italy, in the coming days.
"The first cargo of LNG from Congo is the result of the strong commitment of Eni and its partners and of the unwavering support of the Government of the Republic of the Congo. Eni and the local partners shared work forces, know-how and technologies, ensuring additional revenues to the country while contributing to Europe’s energy security," Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi was quoted as saying.