The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production, and Bilton Energy Ltd. have commissioned Nigeria’s first wholly owned Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel with a capacity of 2.2 million barrels. The vessel, named Cawthorne, marks the first commissioning of a new crude oil terminal in Nigeria in 50 years.
Located offshore Bonny, the double-hull FSO is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s crude export infrastructure and operational resilience. It will receive, store, and offload crude oil to export tankers, helping to overcome long-standing logistical and infrastructural challenges in the country’s crude evacuation system.
Dr. Tosin Etomi, Head of Commercial and Planning at Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group upstream subsidiary, said the vessel “is not just a vessel—it’s an assurance of continuity, reliability, and value creation,” noting its digital systems and Artificial Intelligence-driven controls.
The Cawthorne FSO was converted from a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) into a fully integrated unit meeting international maritime, safety, and environmental standards including IMO and MARPOL. The vessel can accommodate up to 50 personnel and features automated /export systems and marine control technologies.
The project was designed to address persistent challenges in Nigeria’s oil evacuation network such as limited barging capacity, ship-to-ship transfer delays, and siltation at berthing slots. The new system aims to reduce dependence on pipelines and mitigate risks from oil theft and vandalism, supporting OML 18’s 2025 target of 50,000 barrels of oil per day.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is the state-owned national oil company of Nigeria. It was incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act in 2021 following the Petroleum Industry Act, transitioning from a government corporation to a limited liability company fully owned by the Nigerian government.
Sahara Group is a privately held international energy and infrastructure conglomerate headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with operations across upstream, midstream, downstream, and power sectors. It operates through subsidiaries including Asharami Energy and OML Eighteen Energy Resource Ltd.
Eroton E&P is a Nigerian indigenous oil and gas company engaged in exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons, including operations on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18.
