Shell takes FID at Bonga North to sustain production offshore Nigeria

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Co. Ltd. (SNEPCo), a Shell plc subsidiary, has taken final investment decision (FID) to develop Bonga North, a deep-water project off the coast of Nigeria, to sustain oil and gas production at the Shell-operated Bonga floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. 

Bonga North currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of more than 300 MMboe and is expected to reach a peak production of 110,000 b/d of oil, with first oil anticipated by the end of the decade, the company said in a release Dec. 16.

Bonga North will be a subsea tie-back to the 225,000 b/d Bonga FPSO. 

Bonga field, in OML 118, began producing oil and gas in 2005 and was Nigeria’s first deepwater development in depths of more than 1,000 m (OGJ Online, Dec. 1, 2005; Aug. 6, 2014). 

The newly sanctioned project involves drilling, completing, and starting up 16 wells (8 production, 8 water injection), modifications to the existing Bonga Main FPSO, and the installation of new subsea hardware tied back to the FPSO.

SNEPCo operated Bonga field with 55% interest. Partners are Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd. (20%), Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd. (12.5%), and TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd. (12.5%), on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd. (NNPC).