Ziggy Ojiegbe

TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria (TEPN) Limited, operator of the Joint Venture between TotalEnergies and NNPC Limited, has announced plans to deploy a new floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel, FSO Adiana, offshore Nigeria by the end of 2027 to sustain production from key offshore oil fields and modernize aging export infrastructure.

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The disclosure was made by Matthieu Bouyer, who confirmed via LinkedIn that the vessel which is currently undergoing refurbishment at the Weihai shipyard in China is expected to replace the long-serving FSO Unity, which has been in operation since 2003.

The FSO Unity is moored at the Odudu Offshore Terminal, located about 30 kilometers off the eastern Niger Delta near Akwa Ibom State. It serves as the primary export hub for several major offshore oil assets within Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 99, 100, and 102, including fields such as Afia, Ime, Edikan, Odudu, Amenam-Kpono, Ikike, Ofon and Ntokon.

The vessel has a storage capacity of roughly 2.4 million barrels and a handling capacity of about 230,000 barrels per day, with the largest crude inflows historically coming from the Amenam-Kpono field in OML 99, which has supplied up to 125,000 barrels per day.

According to project details, the ageing infrastructure originally built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2002 is being replaced to ensure continued offshore production efficiency as several of the producing fields approach natural decline phases. Production from the OML 100 cluster, in particular, has matured but remains a key part of Nigeria’s offshore output.

The FSO Adiana is expected to play a central role in sustaining production across these assets, while also supporting new tie-back developments such as the Nkarika field and the recently discovered Ntokon field, both of which are being developed to extend the economic life of the hub.

Industry reports indicate that the vessel conversion project is being handled through a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) refurbishment process, with Singapore-based Yinson Production reportedly involved in contracting shipyard work in China.

Beyond maintaining production, the new unit is also expected to integrate emissions-reduction technologies, including a vapour recovery system designed to limit methane emissions during storage and transfer operations.

Bouyer noted that the upgraded system aligns with the company’s broader environmental strategy, including the deployment of methane-detection technology known as AUSEA across global operations. He also emphasized that the JV has already achieved the elimination of routine flaring in Nigeria, a milestone reached in 2023.

The FSO Adiana is scheduled to sail from China after refurbishment and arrive offshore Nigeria in 2026 for final installation, with full commissioning expected by the end of 2027. Once operational, it will continue supporting exports from the Odudu hub and surrounding fields for decades.

The asset is jointly operated by TotalEnergies (40%) and NNPC Limited (60%), under long-term leases for OML 99, 100, and 102, which are valid until 2033.

The project underscores continued investment in Nigeria’s offshore upstream sector, where operators are balancing mature field decline with incremental developments and infrastructure upgrades to sustain output and export reliability.