CONGO: Government & Eni Agree to Increase Gas Production and Supply

In the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi di Maio, and of the Italian Minister for Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, the Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, and the CEO of Eni, Claudio Descalzi, signed a letter of intent in Brazzaville today to increase gas production and export. Following the signature, a meeting was held with the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The agreement provides for the acceleration and increase of gas production in Congo, primarily through the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project with start-up expected in 2023 and a capacity of over 3 million tons/year (over 4.5 billion cubic meters/year) once fully operational. LNG exports will allow to valorize the production of gas that exceeds Congo’s internal market needs.

The Republic of Congo and Eni have also agreed to define initiatives to promote decarbonization and sustainable energy transition in the country, in particular in the areas of renewable energy, the development of an agricultural supply chain to produce feedstock for biorefining without competing with the food chain, the conservation and sustainable management of forests, the adoption of clean cooking systems, the capture, use and storage of CO₂.

Currently Eni is the only company committed to developing the huge gas resources of the Republic of Congo; it currently supplies gas to the Congo Power Plant (CEC), which guarantees 70% of the country’s electricity production. Eni has been present in Congo for over 50 years.