Oil flow starts from Bonga field off Nigeria

Dec. 1, 2005
Royal Dutch Shell PLC reported the start of oil production from giant Bonga oil and gas field in more than 1,000 ft of water off Nigeria.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 1 -- Royal Dutch Shell PLC reported the start of oil production from giant Bonga oil and gas field in more than 1,000 ft of water off Nigeria.

Shell plans to quickly ramp up production to 225,000 b/d of 30º gravity oil and 150 MMscfd of gas.

The 60 sq km Bonga field, on Oil Prospecting License 212, is the second deepwater field to come on stream off the West African country. The first was Eni SPA's Abo oil field, which started production in 2003 (OGJ, Feb. 14, 2005, p. 18).

The $3.6 billion Bonga development project is expected to increase Nigeria's oil production by 10%.

The field has 16 subsea production and water injection wells. Production flows through a 2 million bbl storage capacity floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel. A large steel catenary riser is installed on the FPSO. The development uses a 2.3-km long dynamic flexible pipe for oil transfer to a single point mooring offloading buoy.

Associated gas from Bonga will be piped through the 268 km, 32 in. Offshore Gas Gathering System, which Shell operates, to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. for export to the US and Europe.