Production facilities comprise one of the world’s largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and deepwater sub sea infrastructure. The field’s initial 16 sub sea oil producing and water injection wells are connected to the two million barrel storage capacity FPSO by production flow lines, risers and control umbilicals. Notably, this is the first time inconel clad Steel Catenary Risers have been used on an FPSO anywhere in the world. The Bonga FPSO is one of the largest vessels of its type in the world and the largest ever to enter the Tyne. The topside of the FPSO was fabricated at AMEC in Wallsend and other locations in Europe and Nigeria. The integration of the topsides and the hull was completed at Wallsend. Topsides are facilities for processing oil, water and gas. Some 22,000 tonnes of equipment including the topsides were installed on the Bonga at Wallsend. The journey from the Tyne to it permanent mooring at the Bonga field took approximately 6 weeks. Bonga is 300 metres long, 75 metres wide (including the helideck) and the height of a 12-storey building. Bonga’s hull had a lightship weight of 47,200 tonnes when it arrived at Wallsend. It now weighs 90,000 tonnes. The increase is in stores, water, fuel and the topsides. Bonga’s deadweight (when she has a full cargo) will be 312,500 tonnes. The first large steel catenary riser (SCR) to be installed on an FPSO. The first use of inconel cladding for a dynamic riser application. The first installation of a large diameter steel tube umbilical with bonded composite material cover as gaslift risers, in dynamic catenary configuration, off a spread moored FPSO, and connected to the base of a steel catenary flowline riser. The first, largest and most technologically advanced polyester moored deepwater buoy to be built in Nigeria. The first implementation of large size dynamic flexible pipe (2.3km long) for oil transfer to a single point mooring (SPM) offloading buoy. ABB won the contract to delivery US$ 180 million order to deliver the subsea production system. Under the terms of the contract, ABB is responsible for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of all of the subsea equipment required for the Bonga field development, including production control umbilicals and gas lift risers. As part of the contract, ABB will supply 29 conventional subsea trees and associated hardware to facilitate oil production from, and water injection into, the reservoir. The ABB workscope encompassed project management, engineering, and the supply of manifolds, trees, wellheads, controls, connection systems, intervention equipment, integration testing and installation support.
Bonga, West of Africa, Shell, Africa,