Italian energy giant Eni has launched Phase 2 of its Congo LNG project ahead of schedule, expanding production capacity and setting the stage for the country’s first liquefied natural gas exports in early 2026.
Eni announced on 2 December 2025 that it had begun Phase 2 of the project, following the arrival of the Nguya floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit and the introduction of gas into the new offshore system.
The expanded configuration includes three new production platforms and the Scarabeo 5 unit, which has been converted from a drilling rig into a gas treatment and compression facility.
The Nguya FLNG is capable of liquefying and exporting up to 3m t/yr of natural gas, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres annually. This setup enables full development of the Nené and Litchendjili offshore gas fields in the Marine XII license area. It also allows flexible management of volumes between the Nguya FLNG and the smaller Tango FLNG, which has been operating since late 2023.
Eni said the project is central to its strategy of developing Congo’s gas resources and strengthening the country’s role in the global LNG market. The company expects the first LNG cargo to be exported in early 2026.
The Nguya FLNG incorporates advanced technologies to reduce its carbon footprint and can process gas with varying compositions, supporting the potential development of additional fields. Eni highlighted that the Congo LNG project integrates decarbonisation-oriented solutions and contributes to the country’s energy transition by monetising gas resources that might otherwise be flared.
The Republic of Congo’s gas sector is expanding rapidly, driven by new LNG projects and regulatory reforms. The government is preparing to implement a new Gas Code to regulate exploration, production, and commercialization of gas, and is planning to establish a state-owned gas company to oversee domestic and export projects.
Congo holds an estimated 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, mainly in offshore fields such as Litchendjili, Nené, Minsala, and Nkala, within the Marine XII license. A comprehensive plan is being developed to guide investment, infrastructure, and utilisation of gas, as the resource is increasingly being positioned for power generation and industrial use.
Eni operates the Congo LNG project, which began Phase 1 in 2023 with the Tango FLNG unit.
The Italian company has been operating in Congo for more than 50 years and supplies gas to the Centrale Électrique du Congo, which provides 70% of the nation’s power generation capacity.
It also runs initiatives supporting Congo’s biofuel value chain. Earlier this year, Eni commissioned a 30,000-tonne-per-year vegetable oil extraction plant in Loudima, unlocking new feedstock capacity for its biorefineries.