Production from the Bonga oil field, the nation’s first deepwater development, has resumed following the completion of the turnaround maintenance on the offshore field.
Early last month, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited announced the shutdown of the field to enable it commence the maintenance.
The Corporate Media Relations Manager, Shell, Precious Okolobo, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the maintenance was completed on schedule, with the first well opened up on April 8, adding that production was ramping up.
The Managing Director, SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, was quoted as saying, “This is another milestone for the Bonga team. Having won the ‘Asset of the Year’ award 2016 in the Shell Group, the Bonga team ably took up the challenge of achieving the three major components of the turnaround maintenance: statutory and regulatory safety checks, inspections, repairs and replacement of equipment and upgrades.”
A major focus of the maintenance was the Bonga Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessel, which is at the heart of the Bonga operations. The Bonga FPSO has the capacity to produce 225,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
SNEPCo operates Bonga in partnership with Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deep Water) Limited; Total E&P Nigeria Limited; and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited under a Production Sharing Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
