A major gas project in Rivers State has moved forward after TotalEnergies and AMNI International took the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the long-delayed Ima Gas Project.
The project, located offshore near Bonny Island, is expected to start producing gas in 2028, more than 50 years after the Ima field was discovered in 1973.
The FID was announced in Abuja on Wednesday and clears the way for the development of the offshore gas field, which is expected to produce about 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day at peak production.
TotalEnergies operates the project with a 40 per cent stake, while AMNI holds 60 per cent.
The gas will be transported through a 22-kilometre pipeline to the Nigeria LNG facilities on Bonny Island.
This is particularly significant for Rivers State, where Bonny remains one of Nigeria’s major locations for the country’s liquefied natural gas industry.
The Ima project is also expected to provide about 30 per cent of the additional feed gas required for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion.
According to the companies, first gas is expected in 2028, with AMNI putting the target date at October 2028.
The investment figure has been described differently in announcements surrounding the FID. The Federal Government and several reports put the investment at about $800 million, while AMNI’s project announcement gives an estimated development cost of $1.108 billion.
The project is expected to create opportunities for Nigerian contractors and workers during its development.
The Presidency said Nigerian financial institutions arranged 77 per cent of the project’s financing, while about 60 per cent of the workforce is expected to come from host communities, including Bonny, Finima and Andoni.
TotalEnergies also said four major project packages would be handled by Nigerian contractors.
For Rivers, the project adds another major investment to the state’s oil and gas sector, while giving a field discovered decades ago a path towards commercial production.
The Ima Gas Project had remained undeveloped since its discovery in 1973. The latest investment decision means work can now proceed towards construction and eventual gas production in 2028.
