Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has commenced a major turnaround maintenance programme on the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, a development expected to temporarily affect crude oil output from the offshore facility.
The company disclosed this in a statement issued at the weekend by its Communications Manager, Gladys Afam-Anadu, noting that the exercise forms part of a statutory integrity assurance initiative aimed at extending the lifespan of the asset.
SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, said the scheduled maintenance is designed to keep the FPSO operating safely and efficiently over the long term.
“The planned maintenance activity will enable the FPSO to continue operating safely and efficiently for the next 15 years. It will also help reduce unplanned production deferments and strengthen the asset’s overall resilience,” Adams stated, adding that operations are expected to resume in March upon completion of the exercise.
According to the company, the scope of work covers statutory inspections, regulatory compliance checks, certification processes, major asset integrity upgrades, and engineering modifications. The programme also includes subsea assurance activities to improve long-term operational performance.
Located about 120 kilometres offshore Nigeria in water depths exceeding 1,000 metres, the Bonga FPSO has the capacity to produce 225,000 barrels of oil per day and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. SNEPCo emphasised that maintaining the integrity of the facility is critical to sustaining stable production and supporting Nigeria’s broader energy security and revenue objectives.
The company noted that this year’s turnaround comes at a strategic period for both SNEPCo and its co-venture partners. In 2024, the partners took a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Bonga North project, a subsea tie-back development that will rely on the reliability and enhanced capacity of the Bonga FPSO.
SNEPCo explained that the successful completion of the maintenance programme is vital to preparing the vessel for additional volumes and operational demands expected from the new development.
The last turnaround maintenance on the FPSO was carried out in October 2022. On February 1, 2023, the Bonga asset recorded a milestone, delivering its one billionth barrel of oil since production began in 2005.
SNEPCo operates the Bonga field in partnership with Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited under a Production Sharing Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
