ExxonMobil has awarded SLB's OneSubsea business a contract for the Area 4 deepwater LNG project offshore Mozambique, according to Offshore Magazine. The award marks a concrete procurement step for one of Africa's most consequential LNG developments, which has faced prolonged delays due to security unrest in Cabo Delgado province and the earlier suspension of TotalEnergies' adjacent Mozambique LNG project at Area 1.
Area 4 is operated by Eni through its Coral Sul FPSO, which already produces LNG from the block, but ExxonMobil holds a significant equity stake and is leading development of the larger onshore LNG train component tied to the block's substantial gas resources. The OneSubsea contract — SLB's dedicated subsea systems and services joint venture — points to continued subsea infrastructure investment in the deepwater portion of Area 4, though the article does not disclose the contract value, specific scope, or duration.
The award is significant in the context of Mozambique's broader LNG ambitions. Area 4's deepwater resources represent a major pillar of the country's plan to become a leading LNG exporter, alongside Area 1. Progress on subsea contracts signals that at least one major operator is actively advancing procurement despite the challenging security and financing environment that has constrained Mozambique LNG timelines industry-wide. The OneSubsea scope is consistent with the subsea production systems, tie-back infrastructure, and associated controls and flow assurance equipment typically required at this stage of a deepwater development, though partners should verify the precise scope directly with the operator.
For Norwegian oil and gas service companies, this contract award by a supermajor to a large integrated player is a useful market signal: procurement is active and progressing on Area 4, meaning tier-two and specialist suppliers operating in subsea controls, umbilicals, flexible pipe, subsea processing, and intervention services should be tracking subcontract opportunities that may flow from the OneSubsea scope. The security situation in Cabo Delgado, while improved in parts, remains a project-execution risk that operators and their supply chains are actively managing.