Shell Begins Turnaround Maintenance on Bonga FPSO

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has commenced a scheduled turnaround maintenance exercise on the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

According to SNEPCo, the maintenance is part of a statutory and integrity assurance programme aimed at extending the operational life of the facility. The FPSO is expected to resume full operations in March 2026.

“The scheduled maintenance is designed to ensure the FPSO continues to operate safely and efficiently for the next 15 years. It also aims to reduce unplanned downtime and enhance the overall resilience of the asset,” said Ronald Adams, Managing Director of SNEPCo.

The scope of the maintenance work includes statutory inspections, certification and regulatory compliance checks, major asset-integrity upgrades, engineering modifications for long-term operations, and subsea assurance activities.

Located approximately 120 kilometres offshore in water depths exceeding 1,000 metres, the Bonga FPSO has the capacity to produce up to 225,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

“Maintaining the integrity of this critical national asset is essential for stable production and supporting Nigeria’s broader energy, security, and revenue objectives,” the statement added.

This year’s maintenance coincides with a strategic phase for SNEPCo and its co-venture partners. In 2024, the partners approved the Bonga North subsea tie-back development, which will rely on the reliability and increased capacity of the Bonga FPSO. A successful turnaround is therefore crucial in preparing the facility for additional volumes and operational demands from the new development.

The last turnaround maintenance on the FPSO occurred in October 2022. On February 1, 2023, the vessel achieved a milestone by producing its 1 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 has not disclosed how the current maintenance will impact daily oil production.