TotalEnergies and Eni have taken the Final Investment Decision (FID) to develop the Cronos gas field offshore Cyprus, marking the country’s first natural gas development project. The project is expected to strengthen Europe’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply while supporting the emergence of a new energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Cronos gas field, located in Block 6 around 185 kilometres southwest of the Cypriot coast, was discovered in 2022 and successfully appraised in 2024. TotalEnergies holds a 50% stake in the project, while Eni, which also owns 50%, will serve as the operator.The project will be developed through four subsea production wells connected by an undersea pipeline to Egypt. The natural gas will be transported to the Damietta LNG terminal, where it will be liquefied before being exported to European markets.
Production is expected to begin in 2028. At full capacity, the field is expected to produce around 500 million cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to nearly 2.8 million tonnes of LNG annually. TotalEnergies will market approximately half of the LNG production, or around 1.4 million tonnes per year.
The development will make extensive use of existing gas infrastructure in Egypt, including offshore facilities, gas transportation systems and LNG processing plants. By using established infrastructure, the project is expected to reduce development costs, shorten the construction timeline and lower the carbon intensity of production compared with building new processing facilities.
The investment follows the signing of a Host Government Agreement in February 2025 and the completion of key commercial and contractual arrangements between the project partners and the governments of Cyprus and Egypt. These agreements cover the use of offshore infrastructure linked to the Zohr field, gas transportation through Egypt, liquefaction at the Damietta LNG plant and LNG exports to international markets. The partners also believe the infrastructure created for Cronos could support the future development of additional gas discoveries within Block 6, which will be evaluated during upcoming exploration and appraisal campaigns.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies, said the approval of the project marks an important milestone for Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. He noted that the project will strengthen Europe’s energy security by creating an additional LNG supply route while making efficient use of existing infrastructure in Egypt. He added that the development aligns with the company’s strategy of investing in competitive, lower-emission energy projects while expanding its global LNG business. TotalEnergies continues to strengthen its presence in Cyprus through interests in offshore Blocks 6, 7, 8 and 11, where exploration and development activities are underway.
The company is one of the world’s leading LNG producers, with a global portfolio of around 44 million tonnes in 2025. It operates across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, regasification, trading and marine fuel supply. TotalEnergies aims to further expand its LNG portfolio to 60 million tonnes per year by 2030 while supporting lower-carbon energy solutions and improving energy security across global markets.
