Shell begins operations in Bonga Northwest

Oil major, Royal Dutch Shell said it has started the third phase of operations in Nigeria.

The firm said its exploration and production company started production at the third phase of the offshore Bonga prospect.

“This new start-up is another important milestone for Bonga, adding valuable new production to this major facility,” upstream director Andrew Brown said in a statement.

Shell last year started oil production from the deepwater Bonga Northwest development off the coast of Nigeria. At its peak, the company said the third phase of operations in the country should be around 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent.

Nigeria is a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In August, Nigeria produced about 1.86 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), about four per cent higher than the previous month, according to OPEC.

Reserves taken from the third phase of the Bonga prospect will be fed through existing production infrastructure offshore, which can produce more than 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day at full capacity.