Total’s entire liquefied natural gas construction site at Afungi in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province is under quarantine due to the coronavirus, with only essential work permitted.

As of 16 April, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Mozambique had registered 31 cases of Covid-19, with 20 of these stemming from a single case at the LNG construction site.

The $20 billion Mozambique project is an important part of Total's LNG growth plans, with its initial two trains due to produce about 12.9 million tonnes per annum.

Upstream previously reported that there was a limited quarantine at play on the Mozambique LNG work site.

The initial Covid-19 case in Afungi — a Total employee known as “patient number 10” by the authorities — was diagnosed on 1 April and transmitted the disease to at least 10 other people, according to the Ministry of Health.

Since then, the government has been tracing contacts related to this patient.

The bulk of the country's recent Covid-19 cases relate to patient 10, with Rosa Marlene, National Director of Public Health, saying yesterday that the investigation of a third network of contacts in Cabo Delgado was ongoing.

This third network, said the Ministry of Health, has mapped citizens who are in Cabo Delgado, Maputo, Zambesia and Nampula provinces.

As of 16 April, 17 of the country’s active Covid-19 case were in Maputo, with 12 in Afungi and two in Pemba, said the health ministry, which is also monitoring almost 2000 suspected coronavirus cases.

Total said in a statement released to Upstream today that it is "working closely with the government to manage a number of cases of Covid-19 or with connection to its project site on the Afungi peninsula in northern Cabo Delgado province."

The company said that since the first case was detected on 1 April, a large number of project personnel have been tested for the virus, a small proportion of which tested positive.

"To minimise the risk of further transmission, the company and its contractors have implemented strict protocols and have progressively moved to temporarily reduce the number of personnel at the project site in collaboration with the Ministry of Health," stated Total.

The operator stressed that those personnel remaining in Afungi will be focused on security, logistics and providing essential services required to maintain the camp and prepare for the resumption of operations.

Total said that, together with its Mozambique LNG partners, it is working to upgrade medical facilities in the province and procure items to support the nationwide response, including personal protection equipment, ventilators and test kits.

The statement also referenced social projects the partners are supporting in Cabo Delgado including a $10 million partnership with USAID to support children’s health and vulnerable girls, plus training, educational and road safety initiatives and a development fund for resettled villagers.

Two weeks ago, Carta de Mocambique, a national online news service, carried a copy of an email claiming to have been sent to workers at the Afungi site by Ronan Bescond, Total’s country manager, and Graham Hardy, the LNG construction manager.

The email stated that in light of the Covid-19 cases at Afungi, “we have taken the difficult decision to quarantine the project site,” with only critical activities allowed including security and airstrip operations.

“Everyone will be required to stay in their room,” said the email, with entry to or exit from the site severely restricted.

Based on an estimated 65 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas held in Offshore Area 1 (including the Golfinho, Atum and Prosperidade fields), Total reckons the Mozambique project could produce up to 43 MMtpa eventually.

A final investment decision was taken on the Mozambique LNG project last June, with completion targeted for 2024.

However, this schedule is being jeopardised by a number of issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, an Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado province and financing issues.

Indications of potential delays surfaced even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In early February, Mozambique’s Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario pointedly told 65-year old Estevao Pale, who had just been appointed state-owned ENH’s new chairman, that he “must guarantee the implementation of natural gas exploitation projects within the schedules approved in the development plans".

Pale replaced Omar Mitha, who last week was appointed economic adviser to Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi.

Construction work at Afungi began in August 2019 and, according to Total, a 5500-strong Mozambican workforce has already delivered the new Quitunda village, the Afungi airstrip, the Palma-Afungi highway and a raft of other projects essential for the construction of the LNG facility.

According to Total's website, Mozambique’s geographic location means the country is well-positioned to meet the needs of customers in the Atlantic and Asia-Pacific markets, and to tap into the growing demand for energy in the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.

The Afungi site will also host facilities for ExxonMobil's Rovuma LNG complex, which will be fed by gas resources in the Mamba field in Offshore Area 4.

Sanctioning of this $23 billion-plus project has been postponed until a later date.

The initial two-train scheme will have a capacity of 15.2 MMtpa and will also be expandable.

* This article was updated to reflect correct dates and incorporates other corrections.

Coronavirus

Entire Afungi LNG site in Mozambique under lockdown