TotalEnergies (NYSE: TTE) has committed to developing the Ima gas field offshore Nigeria, with the move designed to increase supply to the expanding Nigeria LNG export plant.
The French supermajor is operator and holds a 40% interest in the Ima gas field, with local partner AMNI retaining the remaining 60% stake in the project.
Both parties have formally taken the final investment decision for the field, which straddles the OML 112 and OML 117 offshore licenses in Nigeria.
The Ima gas field lies in shallow waters close to Bonny Island and will be developed using a single platform connected through a 22-kilometer pipeline to the Nigeria LNG plant.
TotalEnergies holds a 15% stake in the Nigeria LNG plant, giving the company a vertically integrated position across both upstream production and downstream liquefaction.
Production is expected to begin in 2028, reaching a plateau of 350 million cubic feet per day, equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Once operational, the Ima field will supply approximately one-third of the gas required for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion project, which aims to lift liquefaction capacity from 22 million tons per annum to 30 million tons per annum.
The project has been structured as a low-cost and low-emissions development, featuring a simplified platform design, electric power supply from shore, zero flaring, and permanent methane detection and monitoring systems.
Nicolas Terraz, President Exploration and Production at TotalEnergies, said, “We are very pleased to announce the FID for the Ima gas project, marking a new milestone in the deployment of our integrated gas strategy in Nigeria.”
Terraz added that “after the Ubeta project sanctioned in 2024 and expected to start-up next year, Ima demonstrates again our ability to unlock new low-cost and low-emissions gas resources, following the incentives introduced by the Nigerian Government for non-associated gas developments.”
The Ubeta project, sanctioned in 2024, signals that TotalEnergies has been executing a broader sequential gas development strategy across its Nigerian portfolio.
The decision comes as disruption to the Strait of Hormuz has prompted integrated energy companies to accelerate gas and LNG development in regions that do not rely on Middle Eastern shipping chokepoints.
Nigeria’s Atlantic coast position offers a strategic supply alternative for European and Asian buyers seeking to diversify away from Gulf-dependent LNG routes.
The Ima development reinforces Nigeria’s role as a critical node in global LNG supply chains at a time when energy security concerns are reshaping investment priorities across the industry.
