TotalEnergies and Nigerian energy company AMNI have taken the final investment decision to develop the offshore Ima gas field in Nigeria, with production expected to begin in 2028.
The project is designed to supply additional gas to Nigeria LNG’s Bonny Island facility and support the ongoing Train 7 expansion, which is expected to increase the liquefaction plant’s capacity from 22 million tonnes per year to 30 million tonnes per year.
TotalEnergies announced the investment decision on September 23, saying it will operate the project with a 40 percent interest while AMNI will hold the remaining 60 percent.
Ima field to produce 350 million cubic feet of gas daily
The Ima field is located in shallow waters near Bonny Island and extends across the OML 112 and OML 117 offshore licences.
The development will use a single platform connected to Nigeria LNG through a 22-kilometre pipeline.
Once production reaches its planned plateau, the field is expected to produce about 350 million cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
First production is targeted for 2028.
TotalEnergies said the field is expected to provide about one-third of the gas required for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion.
Development supports Nigeria LNG expansion
Nigeria LNG’s Train 7 project is intended to expand the Bonny Island liquefaction facility’s production capacity from 22 million tonnes per year to 30 million tonnes per year.
Additional domestic gas supply is important to the expansion because LNG facilities require dependable feedgas to maintain operations.
The Ima development is therefore directly connected to the expansion of Nigeria’s LNG infrastructure rather than being an isolated upstream gas project.
Once operational, the field is expected to provide a long-term source of gas for the facility through the planned pipeline connection.
Field remained undeveloped for decades
The Ima gas resource was discovered in 1973 but remained undeveloped for more than five decades.
President Bola Tinubu’s office described the FID as a milestone in efforts to unlock previously undeveloped Nigerian gas resources.
The State House said the development could contribute to investment, industrial activity and job creation, while noting that the resource had remained underground since its discovery.
The investment decision now moves the project into the next stage of development, including engineering, procurement and construction.
Indigenous participation
AMNI’s 60 percent interest gives the Nigerian company the majority stake in the project, while TotalEnergies remains operator with a 40 percent interest.
The companies said the development has a strong Nigerian-content component.
TotalEnergies said all key contractors are local companies and that about 60 percent of the workforce during project development is expected to come from host communities.
The project therefore combines international oil and gas operating expertise with majority Nigerian ownership.
For AMNI, the development also represents an expansion of its gas portfolio and a larger role for an indigenous Nigerian energy company in a major offshore project.
Designed with lower-emissions features
TotalEnergies said the Ima development has been designed as a low-cost and low-emissions project.
The platform will receive electricity from shore, eliminating the need for routine power generation on the offshore installation.
The project is also designed without routine gas flaring and will include permanent methane detection and monitoring.
These features are intended to reduce the emissions associated with producing and processing the gas while maintaining the infrastructure needed for continuous monitoring.
Next stage is project construction
The FID follows technical, commercial and contractual work required to prepare the project for development.
AMNI said the project had completed Front-End Engineering Design and key project agreements before the investment decision.
The next phase will involve engineering, procurement and construction before commissioning and the planned start of gas production.
AMNI has stated that first gas is targeted for October 2028, while TotalEnergies has described the broader start-up target as 2028.
A new source of gas for Nigeria’s LNG sector
Nigeria has substantial natural gas resources, but developing those resources has historically been constrained by financing, infrastructure, project economics and other operational challenges.
The Ima FID adds another major gas development to the projects being advanced to increase domestic gas supply.
TotalEnergies previously sanctioned the Ubeta gas project in Nigeria in 2024, with start-up expected before the Ima development.
The company said the Ima project demonstrates its continued investment in Nigeria’s gas sector and follows incentives introduced by the Nigerian government for non-associated gas developments.
What happens next
The immediate milestone is the final investment decision, which formally moves the Ima project into development.
The next major indicators will be the progress of engineering and construction, installation of the offshore platform and pipeline, and ultimately the delivery of first gas.
If the current schedule is maintained, production should begin in 2028 and eventually reach the planned 350 million cubic feet per day plateau.
For Nigeria LNG, the project could provide an additional domestic gas supply source as Train 7 moves toward its planned increase in liquefaction capacity.
For AMNI and TotalEnergies, the FID marks the transition of the long-delayed Ima resource from an undeveloped offshore discovery into an active development project.
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