MAPUTO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Mozambique's cabinet met on

Tuesday, but it did not take a position on the updated budget

and schedule for the mammoth liquefied natural gas project

TotalEnergies is leading in the country and will only

give a view later, a government spokesperson said.

The French oil major told Mozambique's president on Friday

that the Mozambique LNG consortium estimated its costs had risen

by $4.5 billion in the four years the project has been on hold

because of an Islamist militant attack in 2021.

TotalEnergies and its partners want the development and

production period extended by 10 years as partial compensation.

If the cabinet approves those new terms, the consortium will

restart construction of the project, which was previously

estimated to cost $20 billion.

"When the government's position is ready, it will be clear,"

the spokesperson told reporters after the cabinet meeting,

adding it was a priority for Mozambique to get gas projects up

and running.

The spokesperson did not say when the new budget and

schedule was expected to be discussed by cabinet.