The Government of Mozambique has extended the concession period for Area 1 of the deepwater Rovuma Basin by four and a half years, allowing TotalEnergies additional time to develop the liquefied natural gas megaproject. The extension was approved by Mozambique’s Council of Ministers on November 18, 2025, establishing the reinstatement of the suspended period due to force majeure and ensuring recalculation of the 30-year development period.
The extension is less than half the time requested by TotalEnergies, which operates both the license and the 13 million tonnes per annum LNG project in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique. The company had requested the extension as part of a compensation proposal for losses accumulated during the four-year forced suspension of activities, which TotalEnergies estimated at $4.5 billion.
TotalEnergies invoked force majeure in April 2021 following terrorist attacks in Palma town near the project site that resulted in numerous casualties. The company lifted the force majeure in October 2025 after determining that security conditions were sufficient for full resumption of the Mozambique LNG project.
The French major had argued that extending the Development and Production Period for the Golfinho-Atum field by an additional 10 years would partially compensate for the economic impact caused by the prolonged operational interruption. The Mozambican government pledged to provide necessary institutional and decision-making support to enable an orderly and efficient resumption of activities.
The Council of Ministers’ resolution also mandates a comprehensive evaluation of all expenses incurred during the force majeure period with technical rigor and transparency, including an independent audit with the right to appeal before approval of the final report, to ensure protection of the public interest and contractual predictability.
Source: africaoilgasreport.com