Petrobras starts up fourth FPSO of 2019

Nov. 15, 2019
Petrobras has started production through the FPSO P-68 from the Berbigão field in the presalt Santos basin.

Offshore staff

RIO DE JANEIROPetrobras has started production through the FPSO P-68 from the Berbigão field in the presalt Santos basin.

This is the company’s fourth start-up this year offshore Brazil following the earlier operations at P-67 (Lula field), and P-76 and P-77, both on the Búzios field.

The P-68, stationed 230 km (143 mi) offshore Rio de Janeiro State in 2,280 m (7,480 ft) water depth, is engineered to process up to 150,000 b/d of oil and compress up to 6 MMcm of natural gas.

A second floater, P-70, is due to come onstream in the surrounding BM-S-11A concession in 2020, with a similar oil production capacity.

Eventually the facilities will connect to 10 producer wells and seven injectors on the Berbigão and Sururu fields.

Oil is offloaded to shuttle tankers with produced gas transported through the existing presalt offshore gas pipeline routes. The project is known collectively as Iara.

Reservoirs of these fields also extend to areas under the Transfer of Rights Agreement (100% Petrobras) and, after the unitization process, they will compose the joint reservoir of Berbigão and Sururu.

Other partners in BM-S-11A are Shell, Total, and Petrogal Brasil S.A. (10%). Reservoirs of these fields also extend to areas under the Transfer of Rights Agreement (100% Petrobras) and, after the unitization process, they will compose the joint reservoir of Berbigão and Sururu.

Shell, in its report on this development, added an update on some of its other current programs off Brazil, where it anticipates oil and gas production in the current quarter of around 400,000 boe/d.

The P-69 on the Lula field in the presalt Santos basin has reached peak production, just over 10 months since start-up, the company said.

Following Shell’s recent award of two blocks under the 16th concession deepwater bid round, the company now holds interests in 21 exploration blocks, four field developments and 11 producing fields in Brazil.

Shell is also performing exploration in the Gato do Mato and Alto do Cabo Frio Oeste blocks in the Santos basin to secure future development.

In June, the company began its drilling campaign in Gato do Mato, delivered what it claims was the country’s fastest-drilled well to date in Brazil.

Seismic work at Gato do Mato continues. Next year Shell plans exploration drilling on the Saturno block in the Santos basin.

11/15/2019