Nigeria has launched its first wholly owned Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel near the Bonny export terminal, according to one of the companies behind the project. The move underscores Africa’s top oil producer’s drive to strengthen its crude export infrastructure.
The FSO, with a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels, is designed to enhance crude transportation and production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and nearby fields in the Eastern Niger Delta. It will also cut dependence on pipelines and help curb oil theft and vandalism.
Named FSO Cawthorne, the vessel was developed through a partnership between Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (holding a 55% stake in OML 18), Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production, and Bilton Energy. Sahara Energy announced that the vessel is stationed offshore Bonny, the loading point for Nigeria’s premium Bonny Light crude.
Tosin Etomi, Head of Commercial and Planning at Asharami Energy (a Sahara Group subsidiary), noted that the vessel will lower carbon emissions from barge operations and improve the safety of crude evacuation.
Converted from a Very Large Crude Carrier, the double-hull FSO is built to receive, store, and transfer crude to export tankers efficiently. It will also address long-standing logistical challenges such as limited barge capacity, shallow berths, and delays in ship-to-ship transfers.
The vessel is projected to help OML 18 reach its 2025 output goal of 50,000 barrels per day.
source:www.reuters.com
African Energy Council