Nigeria’s crude oil exports are set to decline by about 225,000 barrels per day in February following the shutdown of the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel for scheduled turnaround maintenance.
The development was confirmed by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd., operator of the Bonga field, in a statement issued on Sunday.
The shutdown affects one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater production assets and comes at a time when the country is working to stabilise output and boost foreign exchange earnings from crude oil exports.
The company said the maintenance exercise has already commenced on the Bonga FPSO and will temporarily halt production until the work is completed, with output expected to resume in March.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company said the turnaround maintenance is a statutory exercise designed to protect the long-term integrity of the facility and sustain production performance.
The company stressed that the shutdown is planned and necessary to ensure safe and efficient operations going forward.
“The scheduled maintenance is designed to reduce unplanned deferments, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the asset’s overall resilience,” said SNEPCo Managing Director, Mr. Ronald Adams.
“We expect to resume production in March following the successful completion of the turnaround,” Adams added.
“On February 1, 2023, the Bonga asset produced its one billionth barrel of oil since operations commenced in 2005,” he said, describing the milestone as a testament to the field’s importance in Nigeria’s deepwater portfolio.
According to the company, the maintenance programme is expected to position the Bonga FPSO for another 15 years of reliable operations, reinforcing its role in Nigeria’s oil production mix.
The Bonga FPSO is one of Nigeria’s most critical offshore production facilities and has been a steady contributor to national output for nearly two decades.
Located about 120 kilometres offshore Nigeria in water depths exceeding 1,000 metres, the facility began production in 2005 and marked a major milestone for the country’s deepwater oil development.
The last turnaround maintenance on the Bonga FPSO was carried out in October 2022, highlighting the need for periodic shutdowns to safeguard the long-term integrity of the asset.
Such maintenance exercises are standard in offshore oil production, particularly for ageing but high-capacity facilities.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, has struggled in recent years to maintain production levels due to a combination of ageing infrastructure, oil theft, and underinvestment.
As a result, major maintenance programmes like the Bonga turnaround are increasingly viewed as essential for sustaining output from mature fields while new projects are developed.
The Bonga field has remained one of Nigeria’s most successful deepwater projects and a key source of stable production since the mid-2000s.
