Why Bonga is such a success – Shell director – EnviroNews

Bonga, Nigeria’s first deepwater development project, has been an outstanding producer through effective leadership, advanced technology, continuous improvement, integrated delivery and collaboration with partners and stakeholders, Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Company Limited (SNEPCo), Elohor Aiboni,. said on Thursday, May 8 at the Offshore Technology Conference 2024 in Houston, Texas in the US.

Since entering the market in November 2005, Bonga has maintained a track record of production, reaching one billion barrels exported on February 13 last year. Aiboni reflected on the success factors that made this milestone possible in a presentation titled “The Bonga Journey to a Billion Barrels.”

“SNEPCo is grateful for the contributions of all parties to the Bonga story and we can all be proud of the milestones,” she said.

“Bonga has been consistent. In 2014, nine years after it came into operation, it reached half a billion barrels of crude oil and doubled this by 2023. We have worked relentlessly to achieve excellent asset management, project and well delivery and the deployment of technology and innovations in our operations to ensure.

“These factors, coupled with the supportive partnership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and our co-venturers – TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Agip Exploration; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited – ensure Bonga stands out as a world-class investment case.”

SNEPCo also enjoyed the support of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the success of Bonga operations.

Aiboni spoke about the challenges of sustaining the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel as the asset ages, and dealing with unexpected developments with subsea wells and equipment.

“SNEPCo responded with a campaign of operational excellence, which included the creation of a program known as the Bonga Business Improvement Plan that continuously assesses and identifies improvement initiatives and drives sustainability in operations and workforce upskilling,” she stated .

Bonga’s success story is said to have been led by Nigerians who have been directors of SNEPCo since its inception in 1993, in a deliberate policy by Shell to develop indigenous manpower for deepwater operations in Nigeria. Today, approximately 97% of SNEPCo’s workforce is Nigerian and overall, Bonga has helped create a new generation of Nigerian deepwater professionals.

Aiboni added: “Our vision at SNEPCo continues to be the best deepwater company, driving growth and achieving net zero emissions in line with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy.”