TotalEnergies, AMNI Greenlight $800m Ima Gas Project After 53 Years, To Boost NLNG Train 7

• TotalEnergies and Nigerian independent energy company AMNI International have taken the Final Investment Decision on the $800 million Ima Gas Project, clearing the way for development of a gas resource discovered in 1973 but left undeveloped for more than five decades.

• The Ima field is expected to become a major new source of feedgas for Nigeria LNG, with TotalEnergies projecting production start-up in 2028 and plateau output of 350 million cubic feet per day. The company says the gas will provide about one-third of the requirement for NLNG’s Train 7 expansion.

• Train 7 is expected to raise Nigeria LNG’s liquefaction capacity from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per annum, making the Ima development an important upstream component of Nigeria’s plan to expand LNG exports and monetise its gas resources.

• The project also carries a strong Nigerian financing and local-content component, with the Presidency saying Nigerian financial institutions have arranged 77 percent of the financing, while about 60 percent of the project workforce is expected to come from host communities in Rivers State.

September 23, () – A gas resource discovered more than five decades ago has finally received the investment green light, as TotalEnergies and its Nigerian partner, AMNI International, take the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the $800 million Ima Gas Project.

The decision marks a major step towards bringing the offshore gas resource in OMLs 112 and 117, near Bonny Island, Rivers State, into production after it remained undeveloped since its discovery in 1973.

President Bola Tinubu welcomed the FID on Wednesday, describing it as a significant development in efforts to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas resources for investment, industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.

According to TotalEnergies, the Ima field is expected to start production in 2028 and reach a plateau of 350 million cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The Presidency separately put peak production at about 300 million standard cubic feet per day.

Ima To Feed NLNG Train 7

The importance of the project extends beyond the development of another offshore gas field.

TotalEnergies said gas from Ima would be transported through a 22-kilometre pipeline to Nigeria LNG’s facility at Bonny Island and supply about one-third of the gas required for the ongoing Train 7 expansion.

Train 7 is designed to increase NLNG’s liquefaction capacity from its current 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum.

The Ima development will, therefore, provide additional upstream gas supply for an expansion that is expected to increase Nigeria’s LNG export capacity.

TotalEnergies, which will operate the project with a 40 percent interest, said its Nigerian partner AMNI holds the remaining 60 percent. The field will be developed in shallow waters with a single platform connected to NLNG by the new pipeline.

53-Year Wait Ends

The FID ends an unusually long wait for the commercial development of the Ima gas resource.

The Presidency said the field had remained underground for more than five decades despite its significant reserves and potential to provide feedgas to NLNG.

Tinubu said the development demonstrated the importance of creating an investment environment capable of converting natural resources into productive assets.

“For more than fifty years, the gas beneath Ima remained a resource with enormous potential, but potential alone does not create jobs, finance businesses or improve the lives of our people”, the President said, adding that the government was determined to unlock more gas resources to power industries, expand exports and create jobs.

Tinubu – NEWS MEDIA” fetchpriority=”high” decoding=”async” class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-479061″ src=”https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100.jpg” alt=”Ima Gas” width=”1080″ height=”762″ srcset=”https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100.jpg 1080w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-300×212.jpg 300w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-1024×722.jpg 1024w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-595×420.jpg 595w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-696×491.jpg 696w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-1068×754.jpg 1068w, https://thewillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/764100-100×70.jpg 100w” sizes=”(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px”/>

Fourth Major Gas FID Under Tinubu

The Presidency said Ima is the fourth major gas project to reach FID since Tinubu assumed office, following the Iseni, Ubeta and HI projects.

The development is being linked to reforms introduced by the administration to address investment barriers in the petroleum sector.

The government has said a series of Presidential Directives issued in 2024 were designed to improve fiscal competitiveness, reduce project costs and shorten contracting timelines.

Presidential Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, said the Ima project illustrated the purpose of the reforms.

“Nigeria has never lacked resources. The challenge has been creating the commercial and investment conditions required to move those resources from beneath the ground into projects that employ Nigerians, create opportunities for Nigerian businesses, generate revenues and support economic growth”, she said.

Nigerian Banks Finance 77%

The project also highlights the growing participation of Nigerian companies and financial institutions in major upstream developments.

AMNI, a Nigerian-owned exploration and production company, holds the majority interest in the asset, while the Presidency said Nigerian financial institutions have arranged 77 percent of the project’s financing.

About 60 percent of the workforce is expected to come from host communities, including Bonny, Finima and Andoni in Rivers State.

TotalEnergies said all key contractors for the project would be Nigerian companies, giving local businesses a significant role in its development.

Part Of Wider Gas Push

For TotalEnergies, Ima represents another step in its integrated gas strategy in Nigeria.

The company said the project would add a low-cost, low-emissions gas resource to its Nigerian portfolio, following the Ubeta gas project, which was sanctioned in 2024 and is expected to start production next year.

Ima is designed with a simplified platform, electricity supplied from shore, no routine flaring and permanent methane detection and monitoring, according to TotalEnergies.

The project comes as Nigeria seeks to turn its large gas reserves into greater economic value after years of underdevelopment.

The Federal Government says its gas strategy is focused not only on increasing production but also on using the resource to support LNG exports, industrial feedstock, fertiliser and petrochemical production, power generation and employment.

For NLNG, the immediate significance of Ima is its role in securing additional gas for Train 7.