Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) says its 200,000 barrels per day capacity Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel has been scheduled for turnaround maintenance in October.

The oil firm announced the development in a statement on Sunday.

The company did not specify how long the scheduled maintenance would last. Similar maintenance in May 2020 shut down the oil production facility for at least two weeks. The maintenance typically includes statutory recertification and critical asset integrity activities. 

SNEPCo’s managing director, Elohor Aiboni, stated, “The Bonga TAM is important to revitalise this important critical national asset. But more important is carrying out the turnaround safely. That is what keeps me awake at night. It is our top priority as a company, and we promote this by encouraging our staff and contractors to speak up and work only if it is safe.”

The statement also said SNEPCo’s senior asset management integration lead, Jonathan Amakiri, described the session with the senior executives of the industry service companies as a deliberate strategy by SNEPCo to ensure alignment on safety, speed of execution, compliance and excellence.

“It is important that we share learnings and demonstrate commitment to addressing the relevant health, safety and environment issues to keep our people safe and motivated,” said Mr Amakiri.

According to the statement, responding to the SNEPCo charge, district service manager, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Marcus Flynn, pledged the support and commitment of the CEOs to the safe delivery of the maintenance.

“We will continue to make safety a way of life. That is the least we owe SNEPCo and ourselves,” he said.

Nigeria’s deep-water oil and gas production at Bonga is a project that increased Nigeria’s oil capacity by 10% when it began producing in 2005. 

Bonga is located 120km offshore and lies in water more than 1,000 metres deep across 60 square kilometres. It has the capacity to produce more than 200,000 barrels of oil a day and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas a day. 

(NAN)