Total commences Egina oilfield production at Nigeria's deepwater

The logo of French oil giant Total is pictured at a petrol station in Latresne near Bordeaux, France. [Photo: Reuters]

PARIS- Total SA said on Wednesday it had started production from the Egina oilfield off Nigeria’s coast, part of a shift by the French energy firm towards deepwater oil and gas projects to its drive cash flow.

Output from Egina, which is located in waters about 1,600 metres (5,250 ft) deep, is expected to plateau at 200,000 barrels per day of oil, Total said. That rate is equivalent to about 10 percent of Nigeria’s current production.