Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has completed the turnaround maintenance activity at the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel 12 days behind schedule, as reported by NNPC Ltd in its recent report.
According to the company’s media release, the exercise, which commenced on 1 February 2026, was termed a statutory and integrity assurance programme aimed at extending the life of the facility.
The scope of maintenance done on the vessel included statutory inspections, certification, and regulatory compliance checks, major asset -integrity upgrades, as well as engineering modifications to improve long-term operations and subsea assurance activities.
The FPSO, located approximately 120 km offshore in water depths exceeding 1,000 meters, has the capacity to produce 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 to supporting stable production and Nigeria’s wider energy, security and revenue objectives.
The 2026 Bonga turnaround maintenance was a strategic moment for SNEPCo and its co‑venture partners. In 2024, the partners took Final Investment Decision on Bonga North, a subsea tie‑back development that will depend on the reliability and enhanced capacity of the Bonga FPSO. A successful turnaround maintenance is therefore essential to preparing the facility for the additional volumes and operational demands associated with the new development.
The last turnaround maintenance activity on the FPSO took place in October 2022. On February 1 the following year, the asset delivered its 1 billionth barrel of oil since production commenced in 2005.
According to SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, the maintenance activity of Bonga FPSO is designed to ensure the FPSO continues to operate safely and efficiently for the next 15 years, while reducing unplanned deferments and strengthening the asset’s overall resilience.
“We expect to resume operations in March following the completion of the turnaround, ´ He said.
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 (NNPC Ltd).
