Marlim Leste FPSO arrives in Denmark for recycling

MODEC, the original designer, installer and operator, was responsible for delivery from the field location offshore Brazil.
Related To: 
July 2, 2026
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Why this news matters:

  • The retirement of the Cidade de Niterói FPSO highlights the growing wave of offshore decommissioning and vessel recycling projects as mature assets reach the end of their productive lives. 

  • Responsible recycling under international standards reflects increasing industry focus on environmental stewardship and circular-economy practices for offshore infrastructure. 

  • The project underscores the full life cycle of offshore developments, with an FPSO that processed about 159 MMbbl of oil over 17 years now entering decommissioning and recycling.

 

Courtesy MODEC
FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18

The FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18 started oil production in the Marlim Leste oil field offshore Brazil in February 2009 and completed the charter contract in May 2026.​

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MODEC’s FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18 has reached the ship recycling center in Denmark, after having departed the Marlim Leste oil field in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil.

Petrobras commissioned the company to manage the removal campaign.

The vessel produced first oil from the field in February 2009, with MODEC providing charter and operations and maintenance services for the following 17 years, processing about 159 MMbbl of oil. 

The FPSO was designed to process 100,000 bbl/d of crude oil and 124 MMcf/d of gas, with a storage capacity of 1.6 MMbbl.

It will undergo recycling in accordance with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and rules related to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (2009).

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About the Author

Jeremy Beckman
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Jeremy Beckman

Editor, Europe

Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.

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