The Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL), Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Manufacturing Firm, and Bilton Vitality Restricted have collectively commissioned the nation’s first wholly owned 2.2-million-barrel capability Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel.
The vessel, named Cawthorne, is designed to drive sustained oil manufacturing, improve crude export reliability, and bolster Nigeria’s power safety and sustainability.
In an announcement despatched by Head of Company Communications at Sahara Group Ltd, Bethel Obioma, on Wednesday, said that the vessel is Nigeria’s first Crude Oil Terminal to be commissioned in 50 years.
Christened Cawthorne, the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) Terminal is designed to boost crude evacuation from Nigeria’s OML 18 and close by property, the assertion added.
What NNPCL GCEO, different officers mentioned:
This achievement, based on Udobong Ntia, EVP Upstream, NNPC, who represented the NNPC GCEO, Bashir Ojulari, on the commissioning, “is one other daring achievement from the partnership between NNPC and its JV Companions that can assure seamless operations and bolster the strategic targets set by the President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in direction of guaranteeing optimised upstream manufacturing in Nigeria.”
Positioned at offshore Bonny, the double-hull FSO vessel with a storage capability of two.2 million barrels, represents a daring step ahead in strengthening Nigeria’s crude export infrastructure and operational resilience.
Seyi Omotola, NNPC Chief Upstream Funding Officer, mentioned the vessel represents a “renewed hope” for Nigeria’s upstream sector, including that it additionally reaffirms the rising capability of the nation to make its power sector globally aggressive.
Engr. Enorense Amadasu, the Govt Commissioner, Improvement & Manufacturing, who represented Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief Govt of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee (NUPRC), mentioned: “It is a commendable achievement that aligns with the imaginative and prescient of the NUPRC in direction of accelerating manufacturing within the nation, reliably, seamlessly and sustainably.”
Amadasu added that the Cawthorne FSO will improve Nigeria’s export reliability and contribute to a extra steady international power provide chain. “It is a crucial step towards unlocking the complete potential of OML 18 and different strategic property within the area.”
In keeping with Ibiyemi Asaolu, Managing Director of Niger Delta Exploration and Manufacturing Offshore Restricted (NEOL), “This milestone showcases what is feasible when innovation, collaboration, and execution excellence align. With FSO Cawthorne, we aren’t solely securing manufacturing continuity from OML 18 but additionally contributing to Nigeria’s long-term power infrastructure and income stability.”
“The Cawthorne FSO stands as an emblem of innovation assembly necessity,” mentioned Dr. Tosin Etomi, Head, Industrial and Planning, Asharami Vitality (a Sahara Group Upstream Firm). “It’s not only a vessel, it’s an assurance of continuity, reliability, and worth creation for our companions, our nation, and our folks. This collaboration with the NNPC, NUPRC and different stakeholders embodies the drive to show complicated power challenges into sustainable options that energy progress throughout Africa.”
Etomi mentioned the ultramodern vessel is fitted with digital capabilities that make it a vessel “constructed for the longer term, driving operational flexibility, discount in carbon publicity from barge actions, and enhancing general evacuation security. It’s an funding within the resilience of the upstream sector and the environment.”
Etomi added: “The commissioning of FSO Cawthorne reaffirms Sahara Group’s and certainly OML 18 Companions’ dedication to powering progress responsibly by partnerships, innovation, and infrastructure that strengthen Africa’s power independence.”
Extra insights
The FSO Cawthorne challenge was conceived to deal with persistent challenges in Nigeria’s evacuation system, together with restricted barging capability, delays in ship-to-ship transfers, and diminished vessel accessibility as a consequence of siltation at varied berthing slots, which is far wanted to help the property’ 2025 exit quantity of 50kbopd.
“The conversion of the Cawthorne vessel from a Very Massive Crude Service (VLCC) into a totally built-in FSO unit was a feat of engineering excellence. It included intensive modifications, state-of-the-art mooring techniques, and cutting-edge import and export infrastructure, all designed consistent with worldwide maritime, security, and environmental requirements reminiscent of IMO and MARPOL. Fitted with a Marine Management System, the primary and solely FSO with such within the area, it combines this expertise with Synthetic Intelligence to maximise absolutely automated import/export techniques, PAGA, safety, to record a number of of the options,” the assertion mentioned.
The assertion additionally added that the vessel can accommodate as much as 50 personnel on board, providing a protected, safe, and comfy surroundings for crew members and operations workers.
“Past its rapid operational advantages, the FSO serves as a scalable platform able to accommodating future manufacturing will increase and tie-ins from surrounding oil fields, additional cementing its function as a strategic nationwide asset,” Sahara Group mentioned.
OML 18 companions embrace Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Ltd (NNPCL), Eroton E&P, OML Eighteen Vitality Useful resource Ltd. (a Sahara Group Firm) and Bilton Ltd.
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