Bonga Field

Bonga Oil Field
Country: Nigeria
Licence Block(s): OML 118 (formerly OPL 212)
Offshore/Onshore: Offshore
Operator(s): Shell
Partners: Shell, ExxonMobil, Total, Eni
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Field History
Discovery: 1996
Start of Production: Nov 2005
Expected Abandonment: 2019
Production
Current Production Oil: 202,000 bopd (2006)
Current Production Gas: 144 MMscf (2006)
Estimated STOIIP: 1470(mmbll)
Estimated STOIIP: 965 (bcf)
Producing Formations: Middle to Late Miocene unconsolidated turbidite sandstones

The Bonga Field is an oilfield in Nigeria. It was located in License block OPL 212 off the Nigerian coast, which was renamed OML 118 in February 2000. The field covers approximately 60 km² in an average water depth of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). The field was discovered in 1996, with government approval for its development given in 2002. The field began first production in November 2005. The field is produced via a FPSO vessel. The field produces both petroleum and natural gas; the petroleum is offloaded to tankers while the gas is piped back to Nigeria where it is exported via an LNG plant. The field contains approximately 6,000 mmBoe.

The field is operated by Shell Nigeria who own 55% of the license. The other partners in the field development are Exxon (20%), Nigerian AGIP (12.5%) and Elf Petroleum (12.5%)

Field history

Located 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of the Niger Delta, the first discovery well was spudded in September 1995 after acquiring extensive information about the block via a 3D seismic survey in 1993/94.

A secondary field was discovered in the block in May 2001 known as Bonga SW, which encountered significant hydrocarbons. A third field was discovered later in 2004 which is known as Bonga North.

Field development

The Bonga FPSO

The has been produced as a subsea tie back to a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO). Currently there are 16 oil producing and water injection wells on the field however this will be increased to nearly 40 wells as the field is developed further. Due to the large size of the Bonga SW it is currently thought it will require separate production facility to adequately produce the field.

Oil produced from the field is stored on the FPSO for transport to markets via tanker while the gas is exported via a pipeline to the Nigerian Coast for LNG.

The FPSO built by Samsung Heavy industries contained a number of firsts for its type.

Production at the well was shut down for three weeks after June 19, 2008, after an attack by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.