/Reuters Agency
Nigeria has launched its first fully state-owned floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit, near its export terminal in Bonny, according to one of the companies involved in its development, as Africa’s largest oil producer seeks to improve its crude oil export infrastructure.
The FSO, with a capacity of 2.2 million barrels, aims to boost the transport and production of crude oil from the Oil Mining Lease 18 contract and other nearby assets in the eastern Niger Delta. It is also expected to reduce dependence on pipelines and mitigate risks associated with oil theft and vandalism.
The FSO Cawthorne was developed by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd -which holds a 55% stake in OML 18- together with Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production and Bilton Energy.
Sahara Energy stated in a release that the FSO is located off the coast of Bonny, the export point for Nigeria’s high-quality Bonny Light crude.
Tosin Etomi, head of planning and commercial affairs at Asharami Energy, a Sahara group company, noted that the unit will help reduce carbon exposure from barge movement and improve safety in evacuation operations.
The double-hulled FSO, converted from a very large crude carrier (VLCC), is designed to receive, store, and offload crude oil onto export vessels, addressing long-standing logistical constraints such as limited barge capacity, sedimentation at mooring points, and delays in ship-to-ship transfers.
It is expected to support OML 18’s 2025 production target, set at 50,000 barrels per day.
