By NATHAN NWAKAMMA

Nigeria’s oil exports will fall by 225,000 barrels per day in February following the shutdown of the Bonga FPSO for scheduled turnaround maintenance.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports (NAN) that gas output will also decline by 150 million standard cubic feet per day during the maintenance period.

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.

Its Communications Manager, Mrs Gladys Afam-Anadu, said SNEPCo had begun turnaround maintenance on the Bonga FPSO.

She described the exercise as a statutory integrity assurance programme designed to extend the facility’s operational lifespan.

SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, said the maintenance would ensure safe, efficient operations for another 15 years.

“The scheduled maintenance is designed to reduce unplanned deferments and strengthen the asset’s overall resilience.

“We expect to resume operations in March following completion of the turnaround,” he said.

Adams said the scope included inspections, certification, regulatory checks, integrity upgrades, engineering modifications and subsea assurance activities.

“The FPSO, about 120 kilometres offshore in over 1,000 metres of water, can produce 225,000 barrels of oil daily.

“It also produces 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day,” Adams said.

He said maintaining the facility was critical to Nigeria’s production stability, energy security and revenue objectives.

Adams noted that the 2024 Final Investment Decision on Bonga North increased the importance of the FPSO’s reliability.

He said the turnaround would prepare the facility for additional volumes from the Bonga North subsea tie-back project.

According to him, the last turnaround maintenance was conducted in October 2022.

“On Feb. 1, 2023, the asset produced its one billionth barrel since operations began in 2005,” Adams said.

SNEPCo operates the Bonga field with Esso and Nigerian Agip under a production sharing contract with NNPC Ltd. (NAN)