Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), has announced the deferral of 40,000 barrels of oil per day from its EA field located offshore in oil mining lease (OML) 79.
The deferral came after Shell suspended production from the field for the repair of the soft yoke mooring platform (SYMP) which connects the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Sea Eagle with the mooring platform. As a result, Shell spokesperson Precious Okolobo said in a statement, some 40,000 barrels of oil per day production is deferred.
Shell says that the SYMP bearing was damaged in recent bad weather offshore hereby necessitating the shutdown of the facility. There is now a force majeure in place on off takes of the EA blend until the work programme is completed and production resumes on the field.
The EA field is about 15 km off the Niger Delta, south west of Warri in water depths of around 25 meters. Shell discovered the field in 1965 and first oil was achieved on December 14, 2002. Shell opted for offshore development requiring minimal servicing from onshore facilities, obviating the need for a land-based terminal.
