TheCable

Bonga, Nigeria’s first deepwater exploration and production vessel, has hit a one-billion-barrel oil export mark.

Abimbola Essien-Nelson, media relations manager at Shell, said in a statement that the facility achieved the milestone on Monday.

She said the feat was achieved three months after a major turnaround maintenance (TAM) of the facility was completed ahead of schedule.

Essien-Nelson, quoted Elohor Aiboni, managing director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), as saying the milestone was a celebration of excellence, leadership and focused delivery that has brought significant benefits to Nigeria and its citizens.

“One billion barrels is an exciting milestone,” Aiboni said.

“I’m incredibly proud of all of our employees and contractors who have contributed to the success of the Bonga FPSO and the attainment of this remarkable achievement.”

Aiboni also said the integrated delivery approach, continuous improvement and the support lever offered by the technological prowess of the Shell Group are the pillars of SNEPCo’s excellence delivery.

“We are building a leading safe, simpler and cost-disciplined deepwater business that brings value to our partners, shareholders and Nigeria which remains a heartland for Shell,” she added.

Aiboni also attributed the success of Bonga to the supportive partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and SNEPCo’s co-venturers — TotalEnergies Exploration and Production (E&P) Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited.

Also speaking on the feat, Osagie Okunbor, country chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, also commended the resilience, focus and dedication of the entire SNEPCo team — most of whom are Nigerians.

“I feel a strong sense of pride knowing that today, over 95 percent of SNEPCo staff, including those working on the Bonga FPSO, are trained Nigerian deepwater professionals, who daily contribute their quota, in the development of Nigeria’s deepwater hydrocarbon resources,” he said.

“The entire team should be incredibly proud of themselves.”

Bonga, a floating production, storage, and off-loading (FPSO) vessel has a capacity to produce 225,000 barrels per day.

It began operations in 2005 and is anchored 120 kilometers offshore in the Gulf of Guinea.

Shell had pioneered deepwater development in Nigeria, when SNEPCo launched the Bonga FPSO vessel in 2005.

The vessel has enjoyed significant expansion over the years with the further drilling of wells in Bonga Phases II and III, and through a subsea tie-back that unlocked the nearby Bonga north-west field in August 2014.

According to the company, Bonga north-west can produce approximately 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.

On October 18, 2022, the 225,000 bpd capacity Bonga FPSO was shut down for statutory inspections, recertifications, and other critical asset integrity restoration activities.

SNEPCo completed the turnaround maintenance (TAM) of the Bonga FPSO vessel in November last year.