On August 17, 2026, ExxonMobil Mozambique, on behalf of its partners in Zone 4, awarded a pre investment contract of approximately $1.1 billion for the Rovuma LNG Phase I project. This batch of procurement targets the upstream equipment with the longest delivery cycle - subsea production systems, large-diameter production valves, and offshore pipeline pipes. The project has officially entered the substantive pre procurement stage from the conceptual design phase.

Overview of equipment procurement

The largest contract was won by two affiliated companies of OneSubsea, covering subsea production systems, control systems, and umbilical cables. Large caliber production valves are supplied by Advanced Technology Valve company. The pipeline materials were split into three companies: Corinth Pipeworks in Greece was responsible for submerged arc welded pipes, Sumitomo Corporation USA was responsible for seamless pipes, and Zhejiang Jiulite Materials in China took over mechanical lining pipes, induction bending pipes, welding products, and related pipeline systems. The main equipment package has been partially finalized, and the entry point for new suppliers will shift to consortium subcontracting, modular matching, and on-site installation support.

Triple penetration of Chinese capital

Just three days after Sepem disclosed on August 7th that the onshore engineering consortium had received a $32 million preliminary engineering intention letter, ExxonMobil confirmed that the consortium would undertake the first phase of onshore engineering general contracting - members including Sepem, McDermott, Daewoo Engineering Construction, and China Petroleum Engineering Construction Co., Ltd. A week later, Jiulite Materials entered the $1.1 billion procurement list. In addition, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) itself is a partner in Zone 4, and the Chinese capital has completed the full chain entry from shareholder investment, engineering implementation to material supply.

The threshold is still ahead

All large-scale orders are still stuck at the final investment decision stage. After the lifting of the security force majeure in November 2025, the progress of the project has significantly accelerated, but the security risks in Cabo Delgado Province have not been eliminated - according to the monitoring of the armed conflict location and event database on August 5, local armed activities are still ongoing. The onshore plan plans to construct 12 modular liquefaction units with a total production capacity of approximately 18.6 million tons per year, with the goal of operating by 2031. The modules will be prefabricated off-site and transported to the Afengji site for assembly as much as possible. For engineering contractors, subsequent subcontracting qualifications, modular device matching, and local logistics security plans are currently the most worthwhile directions for early layout.Editor/Yang Meiling