TotalEnergies and operator Eni have approved the final investment decision for the offshore Cronos gas field, unlocking Cyprus’ inaugural natural gas development and strengthening fuel supplies to Europe.
Located in deep offshore Block 6, roughly 185 kilometres south-west of Cyprus, the project will tap the discovery made in 2022 and appraised in 2024 through four subsea wells.
Production is scheduled to commence in 2028, targeting a plateau output of 500 million cubic feet per day, equivalent to approximately 2.8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Rather than constructing standalone export facilities, the joint venture will route production via a new subsea pipeline to existing offshore infrastructure at Egypt’s Zohr field.
From there, the gas will be transported to the Damietta LNG plant on the Egyptian coast for liquefaction and export to international markets, primarily across Europe.
TotalEnergies holds a 50 per cent stake in Block 6 alongside operator Eni, with TotalEnergies set to market 1.4 Mtpa of the resulting LNG.
The integrated approach utilises existing processing facilities in Egypt to accelerate development timelines while curbing both capital expenditure and production carbon intensity.
TotalEnergies CEO Officer Patrick Pouyanné highlighted the importance of the fast-track regional initiative for European energy security.
“As Cyprus’ first gas development project, Cronos will support the development of a new regional gas hub in the Eastern Mediterranean, leveraging Egypt’s infrastructure,” Pouyanné said.
“This new gas route in the Mediterranean will contribute to Europe’s energy security by diversifying its LNG supply sources.
“By relying on existing gas processing capacities, this project is aligned with our strategy of prioritising low-cost and low-emission projects.”
The development follows key contractual progress, including a host government agreement signed in February 2025 detailing transit, liquefaction, and marketing terms.
The project could also pave the way for the future commercialisation of additional resources in Block 6.
