Total Enters Security Pact with Mozambique Govt

France's Total, operator of the $20bn Mozambique LNG project, has signed a deal with the Mozambique government to boost security, following a series of Islamist attacks in the country's north.

"This memorandum of understanding reinforces security measures and efforts to create a safe operating environment for partners such as Total, which allows for their continued investment in the Mozambican industry," the government said in a statement on August 24.

The memorandum covers the creation of a joint task force to ensure the safety of activities at Mozambique LNG, the government said. The project's consortium will provide logistical support for this force.

Northern Mozambique has been in the grip of a jihadist insurgency since 2017, posing a risk to the various gas export projects underway there. Attacks have increased in frequency and ferocity over the last year. In late June, eight workers employed by a private construction firm working on Mozambique LNG were ambushed and killed by gunmen.

Earlier this month, militants also seized the port of Mocimboa de Praia, a key logistics hub some 60 km south of Mozambique LNG, after days of intense fighting with Mozambique's security forces. The government is preparing an assault to reclaim the port.

Mozambique LNG aims to produce up to 13.1mn metric tons/yr of gas from the Golfinho and Atum gas fields in Mozambique's Offshore Area 1 concession. Commercial operations are slated to start in 2024.