Nigeria Boosts Crude Evacuation Infrastructure, Commissions 2.2 Million Barrels A Day Capacity FSO

Nigeria has strengthened crude oil evacuation infrastructure that support pipelines isolation measures due to high level third party infractions that has largely aided oil theft.

The commissioning of the country’s first wholly owned Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel near the Bonny export terminal further testifies to the commitment by government to ensure safety of crude evacuation and also to improve its crude export infrastructure.

The 2.2-million-barrel capacity FSO aims to boost crude oil transportation and production from Oil Mining Lease 18 and surrounding assets in the country’s Eastern Niger Delta. It is also expected to reduce reliance on pipelines and mitigate risks associated with oil theft and vandalism.

The FSO Cawthorne was developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) which holds a 55 per cent interest in OML 18 – Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production, and Bilton Energy.

Sahara Energy said in a statement that it is stationed offshore Bonny – the export point for Nigeria’s high-grade Bonny Light crude oil.

Tosin Etomi, head of commercial and planning at Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group company, said the vessel would help reduce carbon exposure from barge movements and enhance evacuation safety.

The double-hull vessel, converted from a Very Large Crude Carrier, is designed to receive, store, and offload crude oil to export tankers, addressing long-standing logistical constraints such as limited barge capacity, siltation at berthing slots and delays in ship-to-ship transfers.

It is expected to support OML 18’s 2025 production target of 50,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters.