The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Sahara Group have jointly commissioned the FSO Cawthorne, Nigeria’s first wholly owned Floating Storage and Offloading vessel.

The facility, which has a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels of crude oil, is stationed offshore near the Bonny export terminal in Rivers State.

It is designed to boost the evacuation, storage, and export of crude from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and surrounding assets operated in the Eastern Niger Delta.

The FSO’s deployment represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s effort to modernise its oil logistics network and reduce dependence on vulnerable pipeline routes.

Developed jointly by NNPC Ltd, which holds a 55 percent stake in OML 18, along with Sahara Group, Eroton Exploration & Production, and Bilton Energy, the project underscores the growing role of indigenous and public-private partnerships in driving the country’s upstream oil and gas infrastructure.

According to Sahara Group, the FSO Cawthorne was converted from a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) into a double-hull storage and offloading vessel capable of safely receiving, holding, and transferring crude to export tankers.

The infrastructure is expected to address long-standing operational challenges such as limited barge capacity, siltation at berthing slots, and costly delays in ship-to-ship transfers.

Tosin Etomi, Head of Commercial and Planning at Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group upstream subsidiary, said the vessel will enhance crude evacuation safety and significantly reduce carbon emissions previously associated with barge movements in the region.

Etomi added that the project aligns with Sahara’s commitment to sustainable energy operations and environmental responsibility.

The commissioning of the FSO is expected to enhance production reliability at OML 18, supporting its 2025 target of 50,000 barrels per day. By reducing the reliance on onshore pipelines—historically prone to vandalism and crude theft—the facility will help stabilize output and improve Nigeria’s crude export performance, especially from the Bonny Light stream.

The FSO Cawthorne represents a critical advancement in Nigeria’s quest to improve its oil export capacity and safeguard revenue.

It also reflects the broader strategic direction of NNPC Ltd under the Petroleum Industry Act, which encourages joint development of energy infrastructure between state-owned and private operators to improve competitiveness and reduce export bottlenecks.

With global energy markets shifting toward efficiency and transparency, the FSO project reinforces Nigeria’s position as a key player in Africa’s crude export supply chain and demonstrates the potential of indigenous innovation and collaboration in building resilient infrastructure for the oil and gas sector.