Shell Reopens 225,000bpd Bonga Field After Maintenance

Ejiofor Alike with agency reports
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has reopened the 225,000 barrel-per-day capacity Bonga deepwater oilfield after a turnaround maintenance, which ensured that statutory activities that would ensure continuous optimum operations at the field were executed.

The field was shut down on March 4, 2017, for the maintenance, which involved inspections, recertification, testing and repair of equipment as well as engineering upgrades with Nigerian companies and subsea professional playing key roles.

The exercise took off a significant chunk from Nigeria’s crude oil exports, as SNEPCo produces close to 200,000 barrels per day from the field, which it operates under Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Shell had said in a statement that the major focus of the maintenance was the Bonga Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is at the heart of Bonga operations.
A Shell Nigeria spokesman could not respond when contacted repeatedly by THISDAY yesterday over the matter.

But Reuters reported that Bonga oilfield had resumed production, but that traders were still waiting for loading programmes for June.
Also, Erha and Yoyo loading programmes  have not been released, the report quoted traders as saying.
Managing Director of SNEPCO, Mr. Bayo Ojulari,  had said maintenance of the field was the fourth since the Bonga field began production in November 2005

 “The exercise will help ensure sustained production and reduced unscheduled production deferments. For the Bonga team, this is another opportunity to excel, having won the ‘Asset of the Year’ Award 2016 in the Shell Group, followed by runners-up in Norway and Malaysia. We are pleased that the award recognised the continuing collaboration towards optimum production with a focus on safety, cost and Nigerian content development which will be invaluable in the maintenance work,” Ojulari added.

Located in Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 212, the 60-square-kilometre field is situated in water depths of over 1,000 metres.

Bonga is Nigeria’s first deep-water development and is located 120 kilometres,  offshore Nigeria.
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 PSC with NNPC.