TotalEnergies SE and Nigerian independent AMNI International Petroleum Development Co. have approved an $800 million investment to develop the Ima gas field offshore Nigeria. The project, which straddles the OML 112 and OML 117 blocks in shallow waters near Bonny Island, has been dormant for five decades. The partners took the Final Investment Decision on the project, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria's upstream gas sector.
The Ima field will be developed using a single offshore platform linked by a 22-kilometre pipeline to the Nigeria LNG terminal, in which TotalEnergies holds a 15 percent stake. First production is targeted for 2028, with output expected to reach a plateau of 350 million cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to more than 60,000 barrels of oil per day. The project will contribute significantly to Nigeria LNG gas supply and create lasting value for its partners and for Nigeria.
TotalEnergies holds 40 percent of the project and operates it, while AMNI holds the remaining 60 percent. The company is positioning Ima as a template for lower-carbon offshore developments, with a simplified platform design, electric power sourced from shore rather than gas turbines, no routine flaring, and continuous methane detection and monitoring built into the facility.
The Ima approval follows the Ubeta gas project, which TotalEnergies sanctioned in 2024 and which is due to start production next year. According to Nicolas Terraz, President of Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies, "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."
The project carries heavy Nigerian-content requirements, with all major contracting packages awarded to local companies. TotalEnergies and AMNI expect roughly 60 percent of the project's workforce during the development phase to be drawn from communities near the field. This move is part of a wave of renewed investment in Nigeria's upstream gas sector.
Once online, Ima is expected to supply roughly a third of the feed gas needed for Nigeria LNG's Train 7 expansion, a project that will lift the plant's liquefaction capacity to 30 million tons a year from 22 million tons. Nigeria LNG's Train 7 project will make the facility one of the world's largest liquefaction complexes, intensifying the need for new feed-gas sources such as Ima and Ubeta.
The Ima sanction adds to a wave of renewed investment in Nigeria's upstream gas sector, as international and indigenous players race to feed expanding LNG capacity at Bonny Island. The development of the Ima gas field is a significant step towards unlocking Nigeria's gas potential and meeting the country's growing energy demands.
Key points
- TotalEnergies and AMNI have approved an $800 million investment to develop Nigeria's Ima gas field.
- The project is expected to supply roughly a third of the feed gas needed for Nigeria LNG's Train 7 expansion.
- First production from the Ima field is targeted for 2028, with output expected to reach a plateau of 350 million cubic feet of gas per day.
