Shell has dumbfounded contractors chasing work on its stop-start $10 billion Bonga South West Aparo (BSWA) project offshore Nigeria by delaying sanction on the 15-year old project until 2025 or later.
The supermajor has led players from the floating production and subsea communities on a merry dance since the development surfaced as a serious project more than 15 years ago.
Multiple bid processes for the floating production, storage and offloading vessel and subsea hardware have started and been halted over the years, as Shell blew hot and cold on BSWA’s economics, project managers were chopped and changed, governments came and went, and Covid-19 and the energy transition affected schedules, costs and priorities.