The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Oil) has announced that Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), a subsidiary of Shell Plc, has committed to a $5 billion Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Bonga North deepwater project.
This was revealed by Nneamaka Okafor, spokesperson to Nigeria’s Oil Minister, Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri.
According to her, the Bonga North project, located off the coast of Nigeria, is expected to sustain oil and gas production at the Bonga facility and significantly bolster the nation’s energy sector.
SNEPCo said the project is estimated to hold over 300 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in recoverable resources and is projected to achieve peak production of 110,000 barrels per day.
While speaking on the new development, Lokpobirki highlighted the ministry’s success in attracting foreign direct investment through policy reforms and investor confidence-building measures.
“The ongoing reform in the oil sector is attracting investors; we have addressed their concerns, and we have regained their confidence.
“We are expecting about $50 billion worth of investment to come in before the end of the year. Once more investors come in, our oil production will increase,” the oil minister said.
It was reiterated that the investment marks Nigeria’s first deepwater oil project in over a decade and signals renewed confidence in the country’s oil and gas industry.
Lokpobiri equally emphasized the role of the oil sector in addressing the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
In his words: “The quickest way to fix the nation’s socio-economic challenges is through the oil sector.
“The federal government is working very hard to use oil resources to industrialize the country.”
SNEPCo confirmed in a statement that the Bonga North project is part of its strategy to maintain long-term energy production in Nigeria and that the project will play a critical role in ensuring energy security while contributing to economic growth.
Lokpobiri’s media aide, in the press statement, declared that the milestone reflects the transformative impact of the ministry’s policies in attracting global investments to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“As the country anticipates further foreign direct investments, projects like Bonga North are poised to drive industrialization, create jobs, and boost Nigeria’s standing in the global energy market,” she concluded.
