Eni has awarded McDermott a wide-ranging subsea contract covering the production facilities for the Cronos gas field development in Block 6 offshore southern Cyprus.

McDermott will provide project management, engineering, procurement and installation support for the development. Eni and partner TotalEnergies plan four subsea wells, with production transported through a new pipeline connecting to Eni's Zohr Field facilities offshore Egypt.

The gas will then be routed to northern Egypt for liquefaction at the Damietta LNG export facility.

Cronos, located 160 km offshore, was discovered in 2022.

Eni subsequently appraised the discovery through additional drilling, confirming significant gas resources that could support the emerging East Mediterranean gas export corridor.

According to Eni, Cronos contains more than 3 Tcf of gas in place, making it one of the largest recent gas discoveries offshore Cyprus. 

Eni has also previously reported that the project is intended to accelerate commercialization of the resource through existing Egyptian infrastructure, with first gas targeted for 2028 following the project's final investment decision.

The project reflects a broader trend of collaboration among East Mediterranean operators as producers seek to leverage Egypt's existing infrastructure to commercialize offshore gas discoveries more quickly and efficiently.

McDermott's Subsea and Floating Facilities team will manage the project, with support from specialists in Houston, Perth, London and Kuala Lumpur and local partnerships.

The Amazon deepwater construction vessel will be among the fleet deployed by the company, according to Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott's SVP of Subsea and Floating Facilities.