Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has begun turnaround maintenance activity on the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel to extend the life of the asset.
In a statement made available to QEDNG, the company said the exercise is a statutory and integrity assurance programme aimed at ensuring the facility continues to operate safely and efficiently.
SNEPCo managing director Ronald Adams said the maintenance is expected to support operations for the next 15 years while reducing unplanned production disruptions.
“The scheduled maintenance activity is designed to ensure the FPSO continues to operate safely and efficiently for the next 15 years, while reducing unplanned deferments and strengthening the asset’s overall resilience,” Mr Adams said. “We expect to resume operations in March following the completion of the turnaround.”
The scope of work includes statutory inspections, certification and regulatory compliance checks, major asset integrity upgrades, engineering modifications to improve long-term operations and subsea assurance activities.
The Bonga FPSO is located about 120 kilometres offshore in water depths of over 1,000 metres. It has the capacity to produce 225,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The company said maintaining the integrity of the facility is important for stable production and Nigeria’s energy, security and revenue objectives.
The turnaround maintenance comes at a period of expansion for the Bonga field. In 2024, SNEPCo and its partners took final investment decision on Bonga North, a subsea tie-back development that will rely on the capacity and reliability of the FPSO.
The last turnaround maintenance on the vessel was carried out in October 2022. On February 1, 2023, the asset produced 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 Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
