Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company has said Nigerian companies are playing key roles in the turnaround maintenance at Bonga field, Nigeria first deep-water development.
SNEPCo said in a statement that it was executing statutory activities that would ensure continuous optimum operations at the deep-water field.
It said nearly all the bolts and nuts as well as fabrications used for the exercise were made in Nigeria, describing the development as a turning point in SNEPCo’s efforts to encourage Nigerian content development.
“This is an operation safely in Nigerian hands, with Nigerian engineers and companies playing leading roles and ensuring the objectives of the exercise are achieved,” the Managing Director, SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, the turnaround maintenance, which commenced on March 4, 2017, involves three major components – statutory and regulatory safety checks, inspections, repairs and replacement of equipment and upgrades – to ensure safety, optimum production, availability and reliability. It is also part of the base case design of the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading to carry out turnaround maintenance on 30-months basis.
Ojulari said, “The plan is to successfully conclude the ramp of activities and resume production as planned in April 2017. It is not proper to interpret the period as production loss to Nigeria.
“Rather, the turnaround maintenance is a series of planned and controlled activities that are implemented in collaboration with government and other stakeholders – with the aim of ensuring the continued safety and productivity of the facility. The planning started two years ago and safety is top priority in every stage of the activities.”
According to the statement, the turnaround maintenance is the fourth since Bonga began production in 2005. Bonga won the Asset of the Year Award 2016 in the Shell Group. Bonga is in depth of more than 1,000 metres, and is located 120km offshore Nigeria.
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.
