NAPE: Indigenous Operators Must Learn from Shell’s Bonga Deepwater Success

Peter Uzoho The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has urged indigenous oil and gas companies operating in the upstream space to study closely the technical and operational excellence and success recorded by Shell in the Bonga Deepwater asset and replicate it in their own operations. President of NAPE, Mrs Olajumoke Ajayi gave the advisory during the association’s July 2026 Technical/Business Meeting in Lagos under the theme: “Shell Nigeria’s Bonga Field: From Discovery to Over One Billion Barrels of Production – Key Technical Insights, Milestones, and the Path Forward”. The keynote was presented by the Asset Operation and Development Lead at Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). Ajayi, said the success story of Shell Nigeria’s Bonga Field offers a blueprint for technical excellence and bold exploration in offshore Nigeria. “Deepwater is where a massive share of our production comes from today. Bonga was the pioneer deepwater discovery, and today we have about six or seven active deepwater fields providing almost half of our daily national production. This demonstrates just how vital this technology and technical capability have become to our industry”, she said. In his remarks, NAPE President-Elect, Dr. Anthony Ofoma, commended Shell for its roles in pioneering and shaping the Deepwater operations in Nigeria oil and gas industry and for always being a consistent supporter of the association’s activities.