The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), in partnership with Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production, and Bilton Energy Ltd, has commissioned Nigeria’s first wholly-owned Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel with a capacity of 2.2 million barrels.
The facility, named FSO Cawthorne, marks Nigeria’s first crude oil terminal to be commissioned in five decades and is expected to significantly enhance crude evacuation, energy reliability, and production efficiency across the country’s oil and gas sector.
Situated offshore Bonny, the double-hull FSO will serve as a vital hub for receiving, storing, and offloading crude oil from OML 18 and nearby fields. The project is a joint venture among NNPC Ltd, Eroton E&P, OML 18 Energy Resources Ltd (a Sahara Group company), and Bilton Ltd.
Speaking at the commissioning, NNPC’s Executive Vice President (Upstream), Udobong Ntia, who represented the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, described the project as “a bold achievement that guarantees seamless operations and aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of optimized upstream production.”
Also speaking, NNPC’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Seyi Omotola, said the new facility symbolizes “renewed hope” for Nigeria’s upstream oil sector and demonstrates the nation’s growing capability to build a globally competitive energy industry.
