Offshore staff
RIO DE JANEIRO – Petrobras says its total oil and natural gas production in Brazil for December of 2013 was 2.36 MMboe/d), up 0.8% from the 2.34 MMboe/d in November 2013. Oil production averaged 1.964 MMb/d, up 0.4% from the November production of 1.957 MMb/d. Including the production operated by Petrobras for its partners in Brazil, the total volume in December was 2.49 MMboe/d and oil output was 2.04 MMb/d.
December’s production increase was mainly influenced by the startup of new wells on platformsP-26, in the Marlim field, and P-56, in the Marlim Sul field, both in the Campos basin. These new wells have offset the reduction associated with the scheduled maintenance shutdown of platform P-53, which began at the end of November and was completed in December, and the shutdown in production of P-20, in the Marlim field, as of Dec. 27, to repair damage caused by a fire in the chemical products unit of the platform. Up to that point, this unit had been producing 22,000 b/d and the interruption in production during the last five days of 2013 affected the month’s average production by 3,500 b/d. The unit is expected to restart production in 1Q 2014.
Also in December, the sale of the portion belonging to Petrobras in Parque das Conchas was completed. The ANP approved this transaction on Dec. 18, 2013. As a result, as of Dec. 19, 12,000 b/d were no longer computed in Petrobras’ production in Brazil, affecting the monthly average by 5,000 b/d.
Contribution from the presalt
A new presalt daily production record of 371,300 b/d was set on Dec. 24. This record was achieved with only 21 production wells. The Santos basin presalt contributed with 184,700 b/d, produced through eight wells, which averages out to 23,100 b/d per well. Of these eight wells, two, which are connected to early production systems, have restricted production due to gas burning limits. The Campos basin presalt contributed with 186,600 b/d through 13 wells, which averages out to 14,300 b/d per well.
In addition to the daily record, in December, Petrobras set a new presalt monthly production record of 344,900 b/d. The Dec. 24 daily record was again surpassed on Jan. 14, 2014, when 390,000 b/d were produced from the presalt.
New platforms in the first half of the year
On Dec. 31, the third module of the Roncador field started up through theP-55 platform. Over the course of the year, new wells will be interconnected to this platform, significantly contributing to production increase in 2014.
PlatformP-58, which is in the final phase of installation at the complex known as Parque das Baleias, 85 km (53 mi) off the Espírito Santo coast, is expected to go into operation in 1Q 2014 and will contribute to increase Campos basin presalt production.
In addition toP-58, two other platforms are expected to go on stream in 1H 2014 in the Campos basin postsalt: P-62, on the fourth module of the Roncador field; and P-61, in the Papa Terra field. Both platforms are already in their permanent location and are being installed.
Natural gas production
The natural gas volume produced by Petrobras in Brazil in December was 63.3 MMcm/d (2.235 bcf/d), 3% higher than a month earlier. Including the share operated by Petrobras for its partners, the volume reached 71 MMcm/d (2.5 bcf/d), with a 3.2% rise from November. The end of the scheduled maintenance shutdown on the Mexilhão platform, in the Santos basin, contributed to the gas production increase.
2013 production
Petrobras’ oil and natural gas production in Brazil in 2013 averaged 2.32 MMboe/d, down 1.5% from last year’s average production.
Oil production exclusively from domestic fields last year averaged 1.93 MMb/d, down 2.5% from 2012 production. Including the share operated by Petrobras for its partners, 2013 volume reached 1,992 thousand b/d.
The reduction in the 2013 production was mainly due to the delay in the startup of Papa Terra field, in the Campos basin, whose wells interconnection to platformP-63 had to be reviewed given the presence of corals in the seabed; delay in the arrival to Brazil and difficulties to install the buoy support risers – riser support buoy systems that would have allowed the interconnection of new wells in the Sapinhoá and Lula NE fields, in the Santos basin; and to the delay in the startup of platforms P-55 and P-58, in the Roncador field and Parque das Baleias, respectively, in the Campos basin. With the interconnection of new wells on these production units, as well as on platforms P-62, in the fourth module of the Roncador field, and P-61, in Papa Terra, both expected to begin production in 1H 2014.
The natural decline of production from fields in operation in 2013 remained within Petrobras’ forecast and are compatible with oil industry standards. Also, there was an improvement in the operational efficiency at the Rio de Janeiro and Campos basin operational units (UO-Rio and UO-BC), which showed average annual indices of 92.4% and 75.4%, respectively, as a result of actions developed under the Operational Efficiency Improvement Program (PROEF).
Only considering non-liquefied natural gas, Petrobras’ domestic production in 2013 rose by 3.8% when compared to 2012, averaging 61,922 thousand cm/d. Added to the share operated by the company for its partners last year’s volume averaged 68,798 thousand cm/d.
Petrobras’ total oil and gas production (Brazil and abroad) in 2013 was 2,540 thousand boe/d, down 2.2% from 2012. Of this total, 219,552 boe/d were produced from the company’s fields abroad and 2,321 thousand boe/d domestically.
2013 production reported to the ANP
The total production in 2013 reported to the ANP was 109,304,951 cu m of oil and 26,448,092 thousand cu m of gas. This production corresponds to the total production of the concessions where Petrobras is the operator. It does not include shale, NGL volumes, and partners’ production where Petrobras is not the operator.
01/31/2014
