By Ashiru Taofeek Adewale
Nigeria’s crude oil exports are set to decline by 225,000 barrels per day in February due to the shutdown of a major offshore production facility for scheduled maintenance.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that gas output will also fall by 150 million standard cubic feet per day during the maintenance period.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday. Its Communications Manager, Mrs. Gladys Afam-Anadu, said SNEPCo had begun turnaround maintenance on the Bonga Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
She described the exercise as a statutory integrity assurance programme designed to extend the facility’s operational lifespan.
SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, said the maintenance would ensure safe and efficient operations for another 15 years. “The scheduled maintenance is designed to reduce unplanned deferments and strengthen the asset’s overall resilience. We expect to resume operations in March following completion of the turnaround,” he said.
Adams detailed that the scope of work includes inspections, certification, regulatory checks, integrity upgrades, engineering modifications, and subsea assurance activities.
“The FPSO, located about 120 kilometres offshore in over 1,000 metres of water, can produce 225,000 barrels of oil daily. It also produces 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day,” Adams stated.
He emphasized that maintaining the facility was critical to Nigeria’s production stability, energy security, and revenue objectives.
Adams noted that the 2024 Final Investment Decision on the Bonga North field increased the importance of the FPSO’s reliability. He said the turnaround would prepare the facility for additional volumes from the Bonga North subsea tie-back project.
According to him, the last turnaround maintenance was conducted in October 2022. “On Feb. 1, 2023, the asset produced its one billionth barrel since operations began in 2005,” Adams added.
SNEPCo operates the Bonga field with partners Esso and Nigerian Agip under a production sharing contract with NNPC Ltd.
Leave a Reply