Nigeria: Bonga starts flowing, at last

SHELL's Bonga field – the country's first large deep-water development – produced first oil in late November, exactly two years behind the original schedule and heavily over-budget. But, despite the disappointments, the field will lift Nigeria's oil production by nearly 10% and will "deliver excellent value to the country, co-venturers and to shareholders", according to Chima Ibeneche, managing director of Shell's Nigerian subsidiary. Bonga is due to build up to its plateau output of 225,000 barrels a day (b/d) of oil and 150m cubic feet a day of gas early in 2006, Ibeneche said. Crude, of about 30°API gravity, will be exported directly from the field to Europe and the US, while gas will be