Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited has commenced a turnaround maintenance programme on the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, as part of efforts to extend the asset’s operational life and ensure long-term reliability.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the company described the exercise as a statutory integrity assurance programme designed to improve safety, efficiency, and operational resilience. The maintenance is expected to be completed in time for the facility to resume operations in March.
Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams, said the scheduled activity would enable the FPSO to operate safely and efficiently for at least the next 15 years, while reducing the risk of unplanned production disruptions.
According to the company, the scope of work covers statutory inspections, certification, and regulatory compliance checks, alongside major asset-integrity upgrades. Engineering modifications aimed at improving long-term performance and subsea assurance activities are also included in the programme.
The Bonga FPSO is located about 120 kilometres offshore Nigeria in water depths of over 1,000 metres. It has a production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day and can process up to 150 million standard cubic feet of gas daily.
SNEPCo noted that maintaining the integrity of the facility is critical to supporting stable oil and gas production, as well as Nigeria’s broader energy security and revenue objectives. The company added that the timing of the maintenance is particularly significant, coming shortly after the final investment decision on the Bonga North project in 2024.
Bonga North is a subsea tie-back development that will rely on the Bonga FPSO for processing. SNEPCo said the successful completion of the turnaround maintenance is essential to preparing the vessel for additional production volumes and increased operational demands associated with the new development.
The last turnaround maintenance on the FPSO was carried out in October 2022. In February 2023, the facility recorded a major milestone by 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. The company did not disclose the impact of the maintenance on current production levels.
