WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • TotalEnergies and Amni have taken FID on the US$1.108 billion Ima gas project offshore Nigeria.
  • Ima holds about 1.28 tcf of non-associated gas and is designed to produce about 350 MMscfd at plateau.
  • First gas is targeted for October 2028, with production expected to supply about one third of Nigeria LNG Train 7 requirements.
  • TotalEnergies operates Ima with a 40% interest, while Amni holds 60%.

TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Ltd. and Amni International Petroleum Development Co. Ltd. have taken the final investment decision to develop Ima gas field in Nigeria. The field straddles the OML 112 and OML 117 offshore licenses.

The partners are targeting gas resources discovered alongside the original Ima oil accumulation. The project carries an estimated development cost of US$1.108 billion, placing substantial investment behind a new source of Nigerian gas production.

Independently confirmed gross reserves stand at about 1.28 tcf of non-associated gas. At plateau, Ima is designed to produce about 350 MMscfd, equivalent to more than 60,000 boe/d, Amni said Sept. 23.

The plateau production level is expected to continue for at least 8 years. That planned output anchors a development intended to deliver gas from the shallow water field near Bonny Island to Nigeria LNG.

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Development will center on a single platform connected to Nigeria LNG through a pipeline measuring 22 km. TotalEnergies holds a 15% interest in Nigeria LNG, according to the company.

The Ima facilities will receive power from shore. The project also calls for no flaring, along with permanent methane detection and monitoring as part of the field development design.

First gas is targeted for October 2028. Once production begins, the field is expected to provide about one third of the gas required for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion.

Train 7 is expected to increase Nigeria LNG liquefaction capacity to 30 million tonnes/year from 22 million tonnes/year, TotalEnergies said in a separate release. Ima would therefore serve as a significant supply source for the expansion.

The final investment decision follows a heads of terms agreement reached in 2024. It also comes after the partners completed technical, commercial, and contractual work required to advance the offshore gas project.

That work included front end engineering design and the execution of project agreements, Amni said. With the investment decision secured, Ima will now proceed into engineering, procurement, and construction.

The decision represents another step in TotalEnergies’ gas strategy in Nigeria. It follows the Ubeta project, which was sanctioned in 2024 and is expected to begin production next year.

“After the Ubeta project sanctioned in 2024 and expected to start-up next year, Ima demonstrates again our ability to unlock new low-cost and low-emissions gas resources, following the incentives introduced by the Nigerian Government for non-associated gas developments,” said Nicolas Terraz, president of exploration and production at TotalEnergies.

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TotalEnergies operates the Ima project with a 40% interest. Amni holds the remaining 60%, giving the Nigerian company the larger participating interest while TotalEnergies leads operations.

The development adds Ima’s gas resources to Amni’s broader Nigerian portfolio. That portfolio contains more than 60 million bbl of oil and nearly 4 tcf of gas, according to the company.

Ima also forms part of Amni’s growth program. The company is targeting production capacity of about 250,000 boe/d by 2031, with the offshore project positioned within that planned expansion.

The project combines a single offshore platform, shore supplied power, permanent methane monitoring, and a direct pipeline connection to Nigeria LNG. Its targeted October 2028 startup would bring new supply as the Train 7 expansion lifts liquefaction capacity.