Nigeria’s premier deep-water development, Bonga, operated by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has won the coveted Asset of the Year award in the Shell Group for 2023, the latest recognition of its best-in-class performance in Safety, Environment and Asset Management. 

Bonga had clinched same award in 2016 and was first runner up in the same category in 2019 for improved production, maintenance, problem-resolving capability, operational excellence and cost ownership.

The asset won again this year beating targets in oil production, plant availability, and greenhouse gas emissions. The asset also recorded zero fatalities and spills. “This is a testament to a culture of excellence which has endured at Bonga since first oil in 2005,” SNEPCo Managing Director Elohor Aiboni said of the award. “We appreciate the hard work of staff and contractors as well as the support of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and our co-venturers – TotalEnergiesNigeria Limited, Nigerian Agip Exploration and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited which has enabled Bonga to continue to safely and efficiently deliver value to stakeholders.”

Among other factors, SNEPCo has relied on a motivated workforce, cutting-edge technology and a relentless drive on safety to deliver oil and gas at record levels at Bonga. Last year, the Floating, Production, Storage, Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is at the heart of the operations, achieved the one billionth barrel of crude oil export. Overall, Bonga produced 138,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in 2023 compared to around 101,000 in 2022.

The latest award for Bonga adds to a lengthy list of laurels won by Shell in Nigeria in the past few years. In 2022 alone, Shell Companies in Nigeria were recognised as Best International Company of the Year (Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria), Upstream Company of the Year (Nigeria International Energy Summit) and Leading Tax Compliant Firm in Nigeria (Federal Inland Revenue Service.)