By Bassey Udo
Pursuant to the objective of the Project One Million Barrels of crude oil initiative, a new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel is set for its final voyage to Nigeria to boost the country’s crude oil production capacity.
The FPSO vessel christened, Emem, is currently undergoing construction and converted at the Dubai Drydocks World (DDWD) in the United Arab Emirates.
The EMEM FPSO boasts of a processing capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), 70,000 BLPD, and includes systems for produced water treatment (60,000 BWPD), water injection (60,000 BWPD), gas processing (15 MMSCFD), gas lift (7.5 MMSCFD), and gas injection (3.5 MMSCFD). The vessel accommodates up to 100 personnel and employs a 12-point spread mooring system.
The vessel, which belongs to Oriental Energy Resources Limited (OERL), would, on arrival in Nigeria, be deployed to the Okwok Field petroleum mining lease (PML 15), operated by Oriental Okwok Limited, located offshore Nigeria.
The project entails the conversion of Nordic Mistral, a double-hulled crude tanker with one million barrels’ storage capacity, into a fully integrated FPSO with a 15-year operational lifespan.
Ahead of the scheduled commencement of its journey to Nigeria, the Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, was at the dockyard in Dubai to inspect the final phase of the vessel conversion process as part of regulatory oversight to confirm its readiness to set sail.
During the tour, Engineer Komolafe inspected critical components of the vessel, including the Oil and Produced Water Treatment Unit, Gas Injection Modules, Seawater Treatment Facilities, Gas Turbine Generators, Electrical House, LACT Unit, Laboratory, Control Room, and Accommodation Quarters.
At the end of the four-hour detailed inspection of the vessel, the CCE expressed delight that the facility was coming to Nigeria at a time the country was pursuing an agenda to increase its crude oil production capacity to about three million barrels per day.
He said the walkthrough enabled the Commission to assess the project’s compliance with quality, and its readiness to sail away to the production field in Nigeria.
The NUPRC boss said the FPSO’s planned departure to Nigeria was good news as it aligns with the ‘Project One Million Barrels initiative’, which seeks to increase the country’s oil production by an additional one million barrels per day.
“This FPSO is coming to Nigeria at a time we are seeking to increase crude oil production. It will help in achieving our project One Million Barrels objective. From what I have seen, I am very impressed, and as the regulator, we will continue to give support to Oriental Energy,” he said.
Komolafe advised Oriental Energy to consider participating in the next licensing round as the company has shown that it has the capacity to take on more projects in Nigeria’s vibrant oil and gas sector.
“We advise that you consider participating in the next licensing round at least to optimise your capacity. We are convinced that Oriental Energy has the capacity to contribute to our national development,” he added.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman, Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Engineer Goni Sheikh, thanked the CCE for encouraging investments in the oil sector.
“We have engaged with your team and they have been working around the clock, including Saturdays and Sundays, to beat the timelines and attain this. And we must also say that since the start of this project, we have received 100% support from the NUPRC. We thank the regulator for the support, oversight and guidance given to us. You are truly a business facilitator,” he said.
The Okwok Field Development Project represents a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry, demonstrating growing indigenous technical capability.
