Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) started producing oil from the Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) FPSO in Mero field in the presalt Santos basin The ultra-deepwater unit has the capacity to produce up to 180,000 b/d of oil and compress up to 12 million cu m/d of gas The FPSO will increase Mero’s installed production capacity to 590,000 b/d from 410,000 b/d The unit is part of Mero’s fourth production system and was chartered from MISC Group there will be 15 wells—8 producer wells and 7 water and gas injection wells—connected to the vessel through undersea infrastructure The project has been designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions with reinjection of the associated gas into the reservoir and zero routine flaring said partner TotalEnergies in a separate release The FPSO will later be connected to high pressure subsea separation technology equipment in a pilot project to separate oil from CO2-rich gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir. The technology is expected to be operational as of 2028, TotalEnergies said (OGJ Online, Jan. 8, 2024) and Sepetiba (Mero 2) FPSO are already operating in the field An additional development phase of 180,000 b/d The FPSO is chartered to Petrobras on behalf of the Libra Consortium operated by Petrobras (38.6%) in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%) representing the Government in the non-contracted area Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) A floating production storage and offloading facility has begun production at the Mero field in the presalt area of the Santos Basin Shell Brasil Petróleo reported the new floating production storage and offloading facility (FPSO) Marechal Duque de Caxias has begun production at the Mero field in the presalt area of the Santos Basin the production unit joins the FPSO Pioneiro de Libra responsible for the early production system has an operational capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (boed) represent a total installed production capacity of 590,000 boed FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias will use innovative technologies to increase production according to Shell partner and field operator The technology will separate oil and gas subsea where it will reinject the CO2-rich gas into the reservoir This will relieve the pressure on the surface gas-processing plant and reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions Shell integrated gas and upstream director “Brazil is a material contributor to Shell’s deepwater oil and gas production and through our ongoing partnership with Petrobras in the Mero field we can help continue to deliver safe and secure energy from one of the country’s most productive fields.” The Mero field is part of the Libra production sharing contract Shell Brasil holds a 19.3% stake in the Mero Unitized Field along with other members of the Libra Consortium: Petrobras (38.6% as operator) CNOOC (9.65%) and PPSA (3.5%) representing the government in the non-contracted area Riviera’s Offshore Support Journal Conference, Middle East will be held in Dubai, UAE, 11 December 2024. Click here for more information on this industry-leading event Brazilian state-owned oil and gas giant Petrobras has put into operation another floating production which is working at the firm’s third-largest oil field in the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil After its naming ceremony in January 2024, the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias left the shipyard in Yantai, China, in February and stopped in Mauritius, Africa, to change crew and move cargo, before reaching Brazilian waters in May 2024 With the capacity to produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil daily and compress up to 12 million cubic meters of gas the vessel is said to be the world’s first FPSO equipped to receive high-pressure separation (HISEP) technology This tech is described as an innovative solution that separates CO2-rich gas from production streams and reinjects it back into the reservoir reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions The FPSO is also equipped with water alternating gas (WAG) reinjection technology as well as stripping and reinjecting CO2 from fuel gas production with a capacity to compress up to 48 mmscfd of CO2 Petrobras’ Director of Exploration and Production stated: “The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias has characteristics that are very well suited to Petrobras’ current project of maintaining high levels of production prioritizing decarbonization technologies and caring for the environment The FPSO will be the third of its size to be installed in the Mero field in the last 30 months which will increase its installed capacity to 590 thousand barrels of oil per day in a short period of time.” Following commissioning procedures and final tests of production equipment the FPSO started operations on October 30 at the Mero field’s third definitive production system which is anticipated to boost the field’s installed production capacity to 590,000 barrels of oil per day in the pre-salt Santos Basin which is part of the Libra production sharing contract CNOOC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA – PPSA (3.5%) MISC Group’s President and Group Chief Executive Officer commented: “The achievement of first oil for the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is a result of the unwavering dedication and expertise of our project and operation teams along with the effective collaboration with our client and partners I congratulate everyone involved for their dedication and commitment to achieve this milestone safely “This milestone is a significant achievement for the MISC Group demonstrating our capability to deliver projects and innovative solutions in a competitive sector We look forward to continuing this momentum and contributing to a broader global energy landscape and the world’s need for energy security.” The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is planned to be connected to 15 wells out of which eight are oil producers and seven are water and gas injectors through a subsea infrastructure made up of 80 km of rigid production and injection pipelines 47 km of flexible service pipelines and 44 km of control umbilical Petrobras intends to implement the HISEP technology in Mero’s third definitive production system from 2028 separating oil and gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinjecting CO2-rich gas.  President Exploration & Production of TotalEnergies remarked: “The production start-up of Mero-3 less than a year after the start-up Mero-2 is a new milestone for TotalEnergies in Brazil “With its vast resources and world-class productivity the Mero field delivers low cost and low emission oil production we will continue to grow our production in Brazil with Mero-4 project expected to start-up in 2025 and the recently sanctioned Atapu-2 and Sépia-2 projects.” Mero, the third largest field in Brazil after Tupi and Búzios, is home to three FPSOs: Pioneiro de Libra, Guanabara, and Sepetiba. The last one was recently put into production mode the overall production capacity of the field will reach 590,000 b/d The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is equipped with technologies to curb emissions enabling gas rich in CO2 to be reinjected into the reservoir “This milestone marks a significant achievement for MISC and demonstrates our continued commitment to safety operational excellence and innovation in the offshore oil and gas industry one of the largest ultra-deepwater FPSOs in the world is equipped with state-of-the-art technology designed to operate efficiently in the deepwater environment of the pre-salt Santos Basin Engineered for a 30-year operational lifespan without the need for dry docking the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias sports predictive maintenance systems perceived to be a critical feature aimed at minimizing operational downtime by forecasting equipment failures before they occur thereby extending machinery lifespan and significantly reducing maintenance costs “In line with our commitment to sustainability energy efficiency systems have been seamlessly integrated to optimise energy consumption thereby reducing operational costs and minimising the environmental footprint of the FPSO Safety is the paramount value in offshore operations and this is achieved through integrated safety systems and a highly trained crew,” highlighted MISC with $11.5 billion earmarked for projects propelling its decarbonization journey forward The start-up of the first oil from Mero-3 comes days after the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré reached Brazilian waters The vessel is being prepared for deployment at the Búzios field as the first high-capacity unit to be installed in the pre-salt Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox The Pioneers of Offshore Engineering GustoMSC part of NOV’s Marine and Construction business is recognized for providing advanced design & engineering consultancy for mobile offshore units and reliable equipment and technical knowledge into realistic & innovative ideas The performance of new and existing jack-ups Petrobras notched a new record last year for both its own and operated production from presalt fields offshore Brazil (2.2 MMboe/d and 3.2 MMboe/d Presalt volumes also accounted for 81% of the company's overall production Highlights of the year included the startup of two new platforms: FPSO Maria Quitéria over the Jubarte field in the Campos Basin and FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias at the Mero field in the Santos Basin the FPSO Sepetiba platform at Mero reached its maximum oil production capacity Ramp-up of these platforms helped to counter losses arising from maintenance stoppages mature field declines and other unscheduled interruptions imposed by the ANP along with the impact of a strike by federal environmental staff at the Ibama agency Petrobras announced on 30 October the Mero 3 FPSO had received first production and compress up to 12 MMcm/d of gas from the Petrobras-operated pre-salt field in the deep waters of the Santos Basin brings the field’s installed production capacity from 410,000 BOPD to 590,000 BOPD Marechal Duque de Caxias will later be connected to the HISEP pilot project which will use high-pressure subsea separation technology this pilot project will separate oil from CO2-rich gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir making it possible to free up space in the surface gas processing plant and reducing greenhouse gasses in addition to being the first FPSO equipped to work with HISEP technology it also incorporates advanced process automation and is equipped with predictive maintenance systems FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias was named in January and departed Yantai It was engineered for a 30-year lifespan without drydocking is a unitized field under the Libra Production Sharing Contract which Petrobras operates with 38.6% interest on behalf of partners Shell Brasil (19.3%) which in addition to managing the contract acts as the federal government's representative in the noncontracted area Just a couple of weeks before Petrobras achieved first oil at Mero 3, the Brazilian operator announced starting production to the FPSO Maria Quitéria in the pre-salt Jubarte field in the Campos Basin Petrobras announced the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré had arrived in Brazilian waters from China it will be able to produce up to 225,000 BOPD from the pre-salt field in the ultradeepwaters of the Santos Basin Búzios has been onstream since 2018 and now has five other platforms operating in the field: FPSOs P-74 Petrobras operates Búzios on behalf of partners CNOOC which manages the production sharing contracts the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ flagship magazine presents authoritative briefs and features on technology advancements in exploration and production ISSN: 1944-978X (Online)ISSN: 0149-2136 (Print) FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias at the Mero Field Petrobras has achieved first oil with the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit Marechal Duque de Caxias installed at the Mero field in Santos Basin The FPSO has the capacity to produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day and compress up to 12 million cubic meters of gas daily It will increase Mero’s installed production capacity from 410,000 to 590,000 barrels of oil per day The unit is part of Mero’s fourth production system and was chartered from MISC there will be 15 wells – 8 producer wells and 7 water and gas injection wells – interconnected to the platform through an undersea infrastructure.  The FPSO Pioneiro de Libra and two definitive systems - FPSO Guanabara (Mero 1) and FPSO Sepetiba (Mero 2) - are already operating in the field It is the first FPSO in the world equipped to receive the High-Pressure Separation (HISEP) technology a solution that separates CO2-rich gas from production streams and reinjects it back into the reservoir The unit is also equipped with Water Alternating Gas (WAG) reinjection technology as well as stripping and reinjecting CO2 from fuel gas production further underscoring MISC’s commitment to sustainable practices China to the Mero field in the Santos Basin The operations of the unitized Mero field are conducted by the consortium members of the Libra Production Sharing Contract - operated by Petrobras (38.6%) CNPC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A (PPSA) acts as the Federal Government's representative in the non-contracted area (3.5%) On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) together with several original co-sponsors reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act in the U.S a 170-year-old French family-owned company operating across a broad swath of maritime and offshore energy… Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has completed the acquisition Havfram Jan De Nul has kicked off the installation campaign of the monopile foundations for RWE’s Thor offshore wind farm we excel in creating stunning illuminated yacht names and logos and cutting-edge LED and fiber optic solutions Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service delivered to your Email five times per week announced the start of production of the FPSO facility Marechal Duque de Caxias in the Mero field the FPSO has an operational capacity of 180,000 bopd (Shell share 19.3%) “Mero-3 demonstrates our commitment to increasingly efficient and competitive projects,” said Zoë Yujnovich Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is located 200 km from the coast of Rio de Janeiro in a water depth of 2,200 m announced first production in December 2023 The FPSO Guanabara (Mero-1) started production in May 2022 The Mero field is part of the Libra Production Sharing Contract (PSC) along with the Early Production System (EPS) Shell Brasil holds a 19.3 percent stake in the Mero Unitized Field along with other members of the Libra Consortium: Petrobras (38.6 percent - operator) and PPSA (3.5 percent) representing the Government in the non-contracted area Petrobras has commenced production operations at the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) in the Mero field and offloading (FPSO) unit has the capacity to produce up to 180,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) of oil and compress up to 12 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) of gas With the addition of the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias the Mero field’s installed production capacity will increase from 410,000 to 590,000 bbl/d of oil The FPSO unit is an integral part of the Mero field’s fourth production system and was leased from MISC The platform will be connected to a total of 15 wells comprising 8 producer wells and 7 water and gas injection wells The FPSO Pioneiro de Libra and two definitive systems – FPSO Guanabara (Mero 1) and FPSO Sepetiba (Mero 2) – are already operating in the field The Marechal Duque de Caxias platform will utilize cutting-edge technologies to decarbonize and increase production This equipment will separate oil from the gas right at the bottom of the ocean reinjecting the CO2-rich gas into the reservoir it will be possible to free up space in the surface gas processing plant and reduce greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere The Mero field’s operations are managed by a consortium of companies involved in the Libra Production Sharing Contract Other partners include Shell Brasil (19.3%) which represents the Federal Government in the non-contracted area (3.5%) Doaa is a staff writer with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication majoring Journalism from Ahram Canadian University She has 2-3 years of experience in copywriting Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC Group) has successfully achieved the first oil for its Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit one of the world’s largest ultra-deepwater FPSOs is designed to operate efficiently in the pre-salt Santos Basin chartered by Petrobras on behalf of the Libra Consortium Petrobras operates the FPSO in partnership with CNOOC (9.65%) Shell Brasil (19.3%) and TotalEnergies (19.3%) representing the Brazilian government in the non-contracted area The unit has an impressive production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day and a total gas handling capacity of 440 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) It also features High-Pressure Separation (HISEP) Technology which separates CO2-rich gas from production streams and reinjects it into the reservoir The FPSO also uses Water Alternating Gas (WAG) reinjection technology and has the ability to compress up to 48 mmscfd of CO2 which aligns with MISC’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible practices MISC Group President and CEO Zahid Osman discussed the importance of collaboration between project teams and partners attributing the milestone’s achievement to their dedication and operational efficiency demonstrates the company’s capability to deliver projects in a competitive market while improving global energy security The FPSO’s advanced technology includes Advanced Process Automation which improves operational performance by real-time monitoring of key indicators Predictive Maintenance Systems have been integrated to predict equipment failures extending machine life and reducing operational downtime Energy Efficiency Systems have been implemented to optimize energy use lowering expenses and minimizing environmental impact the unit had been designed to operate for 30 years without the need for dry docking The FPSO’s journey to the Mero field in the Santos Basin began on February 24 where final hook-up and commissioning took place The FPSO’s contributions are expected to help Petrobras increase production and drive long-term growth in the region Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct we make no representations or warranties of any kind suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction Marine Insight News Network is a premier source for up-to-date and insightful coverage of the maritime industry Marine Insight News Network prides itself on delivering accurate Signup today and get maritime ebooks submitted to your inbox directly.  © 2010 - 2025 Marine Insight — All Rights Reserved We respect your privacy and take protecting it very seriously Production has started through the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias the third permanent platform on the Mero field in the presalt Santos Basin offshore Brazil can produce up to 180,000 bbl/d of oil and compress up to 12 MMcm/d of gas It will raise installed oil throughput capacity at Mero from 410,000 bbl/d to 590,000 bbl/d alongside the early production system FPSO Pioneiro de Libra From 2028, the Marechal Duque de Caxias should start using Petrobras’ HISEP technology to separate at high-pressure produced oil from the gas at the seafloor followed by reinjection of the CO2-rich gas into the reservoir This will free space in the surface gas processing plant and limit greenhouse-gas emissions The FPSO is also equipped with water alternating gas reinjection technology and it is equipped to strip and re-inject CO2 from fuel gas production with a capacity to compress up to 48 MMcf/d of CO2 designed to minimize operational downtime by anticipating equipment failures before they occur should extend the life of machinery and lower maintenance costs According to Petrobras’ partner TotalEnergies a fourth permanent FPSO under construction named Mero-4 The production startup of Mero-3, which TotalEnergies announced yesterday, is less than a year after the startup of Mero-2 which TotalEnergies said is a new milestone for the company in Brazil CNOOC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (3.5%) representing the government in the non-contracted area and Africa are emerging as key growth drivers in global oil and gas investment for the coming 3 to 5 years and midstream infrastructure spending currently in project pipelines While analysts report a 15% annual growth in global oil investment since the pandemic the rebound has merely offset previous declines as oil-producing countries use energy resources in diverse ways to meet domestic and foreign policy goals The result is an overall flat investment outlook followed by the Middle East at 1.7% and Africa at 1%,” noted Rystad Energy’s Research Director MENA during a recent webinar on how oil and gas companies are redefining upstream success (Fig Brazil’s national champion Petrobras plans to invest $111 billion between 2025 and 2029 as it sanction deepwater pre-salt projects that are driving record orders for FPSOs (floating according to a 5-year budget plan approved in late 2024 by the company’s board of directors South America remains the FPSO market leader based on Brazil and Guyana newbuild demand with Petrobras and ExxonMobil’s FPSO orders accounting for 85% of regional demand according to a Rystad FPSO analytics report published in January “Petrobras-operated fields accounted for 11 of these orders while two FPSOs were destined for Equinor’s Raia and Bacalhau fields Guyana has emerged also as significant force in the FPSO market with ExxonMobil securing four new FPSO contracts between 2020 and 2024 in its prolific operated Stabroek Block,” the Rystad report noted “These FPSO projects are raising the region’s oil processing capacity by 3.8 million B/D which equates to more than 85% of Brazil’s current oil production A dozen new FPSOs awarded since 2020 were designed to process over 200,000 B/D with only the Liza Prosperity FPSO in Guyana currently operational,” according to the report (Fig Petrobras says the first production well has been hooked up to the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias at the Mero field in the presalt Santos Basin offshore Brazil Preparations for startup are now in the final phase the third permanent production platform over the field is designed to produce up to 180,000 bbl/d of oil and 12MMcm/d of gas Last Saturday, the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré arrived from China at the Búzios field in the same region following its voyage from China It will potentially produce up to 225,000 bbl/d of oil and process 12MMcm/d of gas Petrobras’ global production averaged 2,721 MMboe/d The company says it remains on track to stay within its 2024-28+ Strategic Plan target range of 2.8 MMboe/d +- 4% Third-quarter oil production in the presalt was stable at 1,822 MMbbl/d, due largely to increased output through the FPSO Sepetiba on the Mero field New wells also came online at the FPSO Almirante Barroso (Búzios) and the FPSO Maricá (Tupi field) with 10 new injection wells entering service at fields in the Santos and Campos basins The fifth FPSO has arrived at the Petrobras-operated Mero field development in the presalt Santos Basin offshore Brazil Petrobras has charted the Alexandre de Gusmão built at the Cosco Shipping (Qidong) yard in China Operations are set to start between the second and third quarter this year The platform is designed to produce 180,000 bbl/d of oil and compress 12 MMcm/d of gas it should lift production from Mero by 31% to 770,000 bbl/d It is also prepared for operations of Petrobras’ patented HISEP (High Pressure Separator) technology This enables subsea separation of the produced oil and CO2-rich associated gas with the latter reinjected directly into the reservoir from the seabed Marechal Duque de Caxias and Guanabara are in service at Mero located in 2,100 m water depth and 180 km from Rio de Janeiro State Petrobras operates the surrounding Libra production sharing agreement concession AIS has secured a subsea insulation contract award for the latest phase of Petrobras’ deepwater Mero field development in the presalt Santos basin offshore Brazil AIS will supply its ContraTherm C25 insulation for the production PLET and the production and water-alternating-gas jumpers It will be the company’s fifth delivery award for these types of structures in the region ContraTherm C25 provides flow assurance for complex subsea equipment in operating temperatures of up to 150 C (302 F) and water depths of 3,000 m with offshore project updates being released on almost a weekly basis throughout 2024.  Brazil is expected to see the highest growth in offshore production amongst all countries globally by 2030 as compared to 2024 levels,” Santosh Kumar Budankayala vice president of upstream research with Rystad Energy Petrobras is expected to lead in terms of offshore exploratory drilling yet again It has been trying to acquire drilling permits to drill in the Foz do Amazonas Basin this would be a significant breakthrough as it has been struggling to get approval to drill in this basin It has also reaffirmed in exploration investment plans in its 2024-2028 exploration strategy where it unveiled plans to invest US$7.5 billion in exploration investments to drill ~40 wells across Brazil’s southeastern and Equatorial margin basins.” International operators slowed down drilling activity in 2024 due to mixed results seen in earlier years bp is expected to drill in late 2025 or in 2026 in the Bumerangue and Tupinamba blocks bp also drilled its first well offshore Brazil as an operator in almost 11 years after it spud a well in the Pau Brasil Block in 2024 either completed or under construction at shipyards in the Far East.  The Almirante Tamandaré reached its offshore destination at the Búzios field in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil in October Petrobras anticipates first oil in early 2025 Integration work has finished on the Alexandre de Gusmão the fourth permanent production systems at the Mero field in the Santos Basin with the present focus on commissioning activities until sailaway around year-end 2024 an affiliate of Omni Helicopters International (OHI) has been selected by Equinor Brazil to provide helicopter services for its offshore activities at the Bacalhau Field in the Santos Basin will host one of the largest FPSOs in the world with a production capacity of up to 220,000 bbl/d of oil Operations will be conducted from Omni Táxi Aéreo’s base at Jacarepaguá Airport in Rio de Janeiro Omni will deploy three helicopters to fulfil this contract Omni says it is the only company in Brazil operating the AW189 and H175 models “Brazil has seen huge discoveries made in the past with Tupi being the first large discovery that was made in 2006 Buzios was another large find that was made in 2010 Both of them being multibillion barrel finds,” Budankayala said “Operators have tried to recreate this success over the past few years and have seen mixed results.”  companies spent more than US$11 billion in acquiring blocks across the Campos and Santos basins which the Rystad analyst deems an indication there is “some untapped potential.”  exploration activity since 2014 has not resulted in any multibillion-barrel finds as was seen in the past,” Budankayala added Equinor and Petronas have spun their drillbits in search of discoveries [and] Petrobras has also continued to perform exploratory drilling Brazil’s oil and gas production is estimated to increase over the next five years, peaking in the early 2030s, driven by the country’s offshore presalt discoveries, according to a September 2024 Rystad Energy report.  Petrobras remains “a dominant operator” in South America Petrobras investments in third-quarter 2024 totaled $4.5 billion with the company continuing to focus primarily on large presalt projects Rystad reports a positive near-term production outlook for Brazil but it forecasts the country should expect a decline to begin in the next decade.  “This presents the challenge of reserve replacement to sustain production and stem the decline,” the report stated “One solution is infrastructure-led exploration (ILX) utilizing increasingly spare infrastructure capacity in the mature Campos and Santos basins to commercialize smaller The market intelligence firm says previously relinquished discoveries could be developed by leveraging existing infrastructure The Campos and Santos basins contain more than 40 fields with more than 3 Bboe in relinquished discoveries.  regulatory agencies play an important role in developing these discovered but relinquished resources,” the report stated “For ILX developments to move forward in these blocks Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) would need to offer them in future bid rounds or permanent offers regulations around infrastructure sharing need to be developed to ensure efficiency gains across all operators in the region.” Solstad Offshore has won multiple offshore vessel contracts from unnamed clients in Brazil with a combined value approaching $53 million The Normand Topazio anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel has a one-year contract that was due to start in October in direct continuation of the vessel’s current contract Another AHTS, Normand Turmalina, has a similar arrangement that is due to take effect in November The Normand Cutter construction support vessel owned by Solstad Maritime (Solstad Offshore 27%) has a nine-month contract for subsea construction work that was due to start in October Petrobras has contracted Baker Hughes to supply 77 km of flexible pipe systems for deployment in deepwater presalt fields offshore Brazil The multi-year program covers risers and flowlines for hydrocarbon production and associated gas and water injection Deliveries should start in mid-2026; the systems will be featured at the Búzios Baker Hughes said the design will also address stress-induced corrosion cracking from CO2 which can impact flexible pipes in presalt fields with high concentrations of the gas the Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) FPSO began producing oil and gas at the Mero Field in the Libra Block in the presalt Santos Basin The FPSO has the capacity to produce up to 180,000 bbl/d of oil and compress up to 12 MMcm/d of gas the Almirante Tamandaré FPSO arrived in Brazil from China This unit will be installed at the Búzios Field in the Santos Basin The Almirante Tamandaré is the first high-capacity FPSO to be deployed in the field and it has the potential to produce up to 225,000 bbl/d of oil and process 12 MMcm/d of gas Rystad reported that output has increased in the Santos Basin since the first presalt ultradeepwater discovery in 2006 which has led to the Tupi and Buzios field developments The Santos Basin accounted for 74% of Brazil’s total output in 2023 and Rystad predicts it will contribute 80% by 2030. “However Brazil’s output is projected to decline by an average of 10% annually through 2050,” the report stated The Campos Basin “dominated Brazil’s offshore sector before the presalt developments,” Rystad reported The basin has been producing for more than 45 years nine platforms at the Marlim Field were replaced in 2023 by two new FPSOs as part of a revitalization program Several previously producing wells will be reconnected to the Anita Garibaldi and Anna Nery FPSOs which are designed to be able to sustain higher water cuts due to their higher water processing capacity which was originally scheduled to begin operations in 2025 Installed at the Jubarte Field in the presalt Campos Basin this FPSO can produce up to 100,000 bbl/d of oil and process up to 5 MMcm/d of gas “Brazil accounts for 45 of the 167 FPSOs operating worldwide and 15 of the 36 FPSOs on order are destined for the country representing over 40% of global demand,” the report stated combined with its expertise in deepwater developments allows companies to consider redeploying FPSOs to commercialize undeveloped projects.” Brazil is driving strong demand for subsea equipment and SURF, according to another Rystad report released in mid-August “Anticipated expenditure in Brazil is set to surge 18% from the previous year to $6 billion in 2024,” the report stated driven by major FPSO initiatives in Brazil and Guyana are projected to capture 35% of the market South America is expected to lead globally with 500 subsea tree installations over the next five years Upcoming ultradeepwater greenfield projects (beyond 1,500 m) include Yellowtail global installations are expected to reach 3,500 km in 2024 and Brazil is forecast to account for 22% of that total The installation rate is projected to increase at a CAGR of 15% from 2024 to 2028 with Brazil being one of the major markets TechnipFMC is expected to supply about 400 subsea trees between 2024 and 2029 22% is estimated for Petrobras in Brazil OneSubsea is projected to supply close to 270 subsea trees within the same period SBM Offshore has divested a 13.5% interest in the companies that lease and operate the Sepetiba FPSO to China Merchants Financial Leasing (Hong Kong) Holding Co. The platform produces oil from the Mero Field in the Santos Basin Petrobras operates Mero in partnership with Shell Brasil SBM Offshore will continue to operate the FPSO with a 51% ownership interest Kongsberg Maritime will supply equipment for 10 new platform supply vessels (PSVs) under construction by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding in China for Capital Offshore which owns and operates more than 100 vessels MMC 897 CD-design PSVs for operations offshore Brazil Each vessel will feature an integrated electrical system Brava Energia received authorization in October from Brazil’s national agency (ANP) concerning activities at the offshore Papa-Terra oil field in the Campos Basin The company can now increase the number of people on board the tension-leg wellhead platform 3R-2 and the FPSO 3R-3 as well as using the rig installed in 3R-2 Brava plans to use the rig to continue a workover of well PPT-051 to replace the submersible pumping system Another letter from ANP calls for scheduling of the final inspection of the FPSO Atlanta's measurement systems between Nov after which Brava will conclude its submission to ANP of the other conditions responses for the FPSO Atlanta to start operations In September Brazil’s environmental agency issued the operating license for the platform Brava will start the decommissioning process for the FPSO Petrojarl in early November SLB OneSubsea was recently awarded a contract by Petrobras for the Roncador project offshore Brazil will provide two subsea production manifolds one electro-hydraulic distribution unit and additional related services The project supports the further development of the Roncador Field in the Campos Basin Roncador is one of Brazil’s five largest producing assets and has been in production since 1999 OneSubsea says provision of an effective subsea solution will help improve recovery from the mature oil field. SLB OneSubsea will provide the full subsea equipment scope to this project as well as field services for installation Petrobras has signed three more concession contracts for blocks in the Pelotas Basin offshore southern Brazil acquired in partnership with Shell and CNOOC were the last three that remained from Brazil’s 4th Permanent Concession Offer Cycle Petrobras operates all three with a 50% stake Petrobras acquired 29 concession contracts in the Pelotas Basin under the auction project management and journalism experience Ariana Hurtado is a seasoned managing editor born and raised in the energy capital of the world—Houston Texas. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Offshore magazine its content and the brand's growth from a digital perspective.  she manages digital media for the Offshore team She also helps create and oversee new special industry reports and revolutionizes existing supplements while also contributing content to Offshore magazine its newsletters and website as a copy editor and writer.  she served as Offshore's editor and director of special reports from April 2022 to December 2024 she served as senior managing editor of publications with Hart Energy she worked on the copy desk as a news editor at the Houston Chronicle She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston Brazilian state-owned oil and gas giant Petrobras has welcomed the arrival of a floating production which set off from China to Brazilian shores This FPSO is making its way toward the firm’s third-largest oil field in the Santos Basin where it will be deployed off the coast of Brazil Following its naming ceremony on January 17 the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias left the shipyard in Yantai The vessel is expected to undergo commissioning procedures and final tests of production equipment before it starts operations at the Mero field in the pre-salt Santos Basin the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias will enter into operation in the second half of this year and is part of Mero’s third definitive production system that is anticipated to boost the field’s installed production capacity to 590,000 barrels of oil per day The remaining additional development phases of 180,000 b/d each The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is envisioned to provide for the interconnection of 15 wells 47 km of flexible service pipelines and 44 km of control umbilicals Mero was the Union’s main oil producer producing 11.1 of the 17 million barrels to which the Union was entitled which translates into more benefits for society.” Petrobras intends to implement the HISEP technology in Mero’s third definitive production system from 2028 separating oil and gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinjecting CO2-rich gas The FPSO duo will be deployed at the two fields in the eastern part of the Santos Basin, approximately 200 kilometers offshore of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Ingersoll Rand Engineering Project Solutions At Ingersoll Rand’s Engineering Project Solutions, we have been managing and implementing engineered to-order air packages for complex technical requirements for over 60 years. We provide specialized custom compressed air and gas compressors as well as nitrogen generation packages to international EPC contractors and engineering companies across a range of […] ExclusiveMalaysian player poised to divest stake in Brazil FPSOChina leverages financial muscle to acquire equity in Marechal Duque de Caxias FPSO to expand its global FPSO portfolio Petrobras inks contracts for two all-electric FPSOs that will use various technologies to reduce the units’ CO2 and GHG emissions Oil and gas production levels in the pre-salt basin offshore Brazil reached record levels in 2023 and Petrobras has plans to push those to even greater heights by adding 14 new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels over the next five years Total pre-salt oil and gas production hit 2.17M barrel of oil equivalents per day (boed) in 2023 surpassing the previous record of 1.97M boed in 2022 Latin America’s largest oil producer and ninth biggest in the world Brazil plans to increase its oil production to 5.4M barrels of oil per day (bopd) by 2029 while achieving a goal of net-zero emissions from operations by 2050 Under its recently announced strategic plan for 2024-2028 state-run oil major Petrobras will spend US$102Bn in capex on oil and gas and low-carbon energy development with some US$73Bn targeted for pre-salt projects Factoring strongly into this increased production will be carbon-intensity awareness which has seen the Brazilian state-owned oil major reduce its absolute operational emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by 41% between 2015 and 2023 Petrobras reported absolute emissions of 46M tons of GHG Absolute methane emissions from upstream operations have been reduced by more than two-thirds in that timeframe falling from 150,000 tonnes of methane in 2015 to 48,000 tonnes in 2023 Brazil wants to reduce its methane emissions by 70% What this means is that sustainability must shape the oil producer’s investments in its floating production facilities if it wants to achieve its emissions goals This was evident in May when Petrobras inked a deal with Seatrium for two all-electric FPSOs Electrification of the two units will result in lower GHG emissions than most other FPSO units operating in Brazil The ground-breaking FPSOs will be moored in ultra-deep waters — more than 2,000 m — of the pre-salt of the Santos Basin with production set to start between 2029 and 2030.The FPSO P-84 at Atapu and P-85 at Sépia will each have a daily production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and capacity to process 10M m3 of gas per day China and Singapore will carry out construction of the modules for the FPSOs and with local content percentages of 20% in P-84 and 25% in P-85 Hull and accommodation fabrication will be outsourced and transported to Singapore for topside module integration and commissioning Singapore-listed Seatrium said the value of the contracts totalled about US$8.1Bn.The all-electric configuration of the vessels is expected to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions by 30% per boe produced placing them among the most efficient FPSOs to come into operation in Brazil “Sustainability must shape the oil producer’s investments” Contributing to their improved environmental profile will be the optimisation of the processing plant to increase energy efficiency and the incorporation of several technologies such as: zero-routine ventilation (recovery of ventilated gases from the cargo tanks and the processing); deep capture of seawater; use of speed variators in pumps and compressors; cogeneration (waste heat recovery unit); zero routine flaring; valves with requirements for low-fugitive emissions; and the capture use and geological storage of CO2 from the gas produced.Currently the Atapu and Sépia fields have production from two FPSOs P-70 in the Atapu Field and the FPSO Carioca in the Sépia field.The operator of both fields Petrobras has a 55.3% stake in partnership with TotalEnergies (16.9%) the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias arrived at the Mero field in the pre-salt of Santos Basin in May The FPSO has a capacity to produce up to 180,000 boed and can compress up to 12M m3 of gas daily the FPSO will raise the field’s installed production capacity to 590,000 boed This production system provides for the interconnection of 15 wells to the unit eight oil producers and seven water and gas injectors Petrobras will implement its HISEP technology on the FPSO that will separate oil and gas on the sea bottom The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias has other technologies to reduce emissions where gas rich in CO2 is reinjected into the reservoir Petrobras is the operator of the Mero unitised field CNPC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (PPSA) (3.5%) Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) is undertaking a project involving the revamp of an existing hydrotreater to improve the quality and quantity of low-sulfur diesel production at its 239,000-b/d Duque de Caxias (REDUC) refinery in the Baixada Fluminense area of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state Alongside reducing sulfur content of diesel to 10 ppm from 500 ppm to meet domestic and international market specifications the hydrotreating unit upgrade also will nearly double Diesel S10 (10 ppm sulfur) production at the site to 9,500 cu m/day from its current 5,000 cu m/day output Scheduled to be completed by second-half 2023 at a proposed investment of 140 million Brazilian real the unit revamp comes as part of the company’s broader strategic objective of producing cleaner more efficient fuels that have less impact on the environment In addition to reducing emissions of particulate matter use of Diesel S10—which has a higher cetane number than Diesel S500 (500 ppm sulfur)—promotes improved fuel performance of vehicle engines in line with Brazil’s stricter air pollution control program for on-road heavy-duty and utility vehicles “We are preparing for the new refining market that will be formed in Brazil in the coming years and this project is of great relevance for us to remain competitive [by] providing [high-quality products and] operating in a sustainable manner and in synergy with our [production] assets in deep and ultradeep waters,” said Alexandre Coelho Petrobras said it also plans to undertake similar unit upgrades in the coming years to expand Diesel S10 production at its 434,000-b/d Refinaria de Paulínia (REPLAN) refinery in Paulínia and 252,000-b/d Refinaria Henrique Lage (REVAP) refinery in São José dos Campos While the operator disclosed no further details regarding the REPLAN and REVAP project the company did confirm implementation of these two projects would increase overall Diesel S10 production up to 16,500 cu m/day Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region. 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects Analysis, reports, news and interviews about your industry in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. An impersonator of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rides a cow statue during Bolsonaro’s campaign event for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives to a campaign event for his run for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for office again, top, second from left, campaigns through the Complexo do Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A supporter of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for office again, flashes the letter L for “Lula” during a campaign rally with him in the Complexo do Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro watch his campaign rally for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attend his campaign rally for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro holds a poster showing Bolsonaro and former U.S. President Donald Trump that reads in Portuguese “The year of the awakening” during Bolsonaro’s campaign rally for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro dance as they take a selfie at the end of his campaign rally for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wears national flags on her head at Bolsonaro’s campaign rally for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wears a leather hat traditionally worn by residents in northeastern Brazil as he speaks during a campaign event for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro holds a campaign event for reelection in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The presidential run-off election is set for Oct. 30. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian polling companies have been facing threats of a crackdown after their surveys for the election’s first round significantly understated the support for the president and his allies. President Jair Bolsonaro’s Justice Ministry called for a Federal Police investigation and the antitrust regulator on Thursday launched a probe into whether pollsters formed a cartel to manipulate election results. Allies in Congress are pushing separate initiatives, one of which would establish prison sentences for polls failing to accurately predict results. Multiple analysts consulted by The Associated Press – even those who said polls have room to improve – slammed these efforts. “The main goal is not to improve electoral polls, but to persecute and punish institutes,” said Alberto Almeida, who leads political research institute Brasilis. “There were mistakes, but voting on a bill, doing a congressional investigation — that is an embarrassment. Wanting to criminalize is senseless.” Before the Oct. 2 vote, many polls had indicated that Bolsonaro was far behind. Some suggested leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could even clinch a first-round victory. Most showed a margin that neared or exceeded double digits. After the vote, they seized on results as proof. And a flurry of attacks followed. Justice Minister Anderson Torres requested the Federal Police to investigate polling institutes, writing on Oct. 4 that their conduct appeared to indicate criminal practice, though he didn’t specify what law they might have broken. Police launched their probe on Thursday, as did the federal antitrust regulator — only to have Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also oversees the electoral court, block both investigations that evening. “These investigations seem to demonstrate the intention to satisfy (Bolsonaro’s) electoral will,” de Moraes wrote in his decision. A pro-government senator requested the Senate to investigate which institutes operate “outside tolerable margins.” And Bolsonaro’s whip in the lower house presented a bill to criminalize polls conducted within 15 days of elections whose findings differ significantly from results. The proposal to punish off-base polls goes far beyond previous efforts in Brazil’s Congress to just ban polls in the immediate lead-up to elections so they cannot influence voters’ choices. One such bill passed in the lower house last year, but wasn’t taken up by the Senate. Such blackout periods are common across the world. Polls cannot be published within 15 days of Chilean and Italian elections, eight days for Argentine races, five for Spain and three for Mexico. By contrast, it is legal to publish polls in Greece and the U.K. until the day before the vote. There are no restrictions in the U.S., though most media organizations that sponsor polls on election day — including the AP — voluntarily wait to publish information that could preview the outcome in each state until polls have closed. Current Brazilian law prohibits publication of a fraudulent poll, but doesn’t clarify how to establish fraud has occurred, leaving room for interpretation, said constitutional law expert Vera Chemin, so the nation should discuss reforming that legislation. “But this needs to be done calmly and impartially, which isn’t the case right now,” she said, adding that the proposal to punish pollsters is “too extreme.” Under its terms, poll directors and coordinators as well as clients who commission an errant poll could be sentenced to between four and 10 years prison and fined. The bill’s sponsor, lower house whip Ricardo Barros, indicated in an interview that he faces resistance from other lawmakers, but described the measure as an alternative to a pre-election poll ban — an approach previously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. “I would rather prohibit polls, but since we can’t do the same as other countries, pollsters need adequate techniques so results converge with what we see in the vote,” he said. Brazil’s association of polling institutions expressed “indignation” at efforts to take legal action against them. It said the country’s polls are “diagnoses, not projections” and follow international standards. Eduardo Grin, a political analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university and think tank in Sao Paulo, criticized the fact Barros’ bill doesn’t establish willful misconduct as necessary for punishment, and said it reflects Bolsonaro’s attempt to test public opinion for measures that limit society’s access to information. Hardly a day goes by during campaign season without results from a fresh poll. This year’s first round had a whopping 975 polls regarding presidential candidates, up 92% from 2018, according to Daniel Marcelino, a data researcher for news site Jota who counted the polls registered with the electoral authority. Adriano Oliveira, director at Intelligence Scenario, a pollster based in Pernambuco state, said many polls frame questions in a way that skews results. He said they should first ask whether respondents have selected a candidate to avoid pressuring for an answer not indicative of their eventual vote. He also said results are often presented and reported by media as though vote intention isn’t subject to change. Nevertheless, he said, “This crusade against research institutes is absurd. After all it is a company, it functions within the free market. ... People define which institute has the most credibility.” Rigs and VesselsFPSO sets sail for Brazil's Mero 3Project due to start in first half of 2024 will include innovative subsea separation technology while major challenges hang over the horizon This is due to the fact that crude oil production will begin to decline towards the end of this decade and also because its commitment to the ecological transition is less clear-cut than that of its competitors it will allocate 6% of its investments to clean energy although the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommends 15-20% is at a crossroads because it holds virtually the entire Amazon — a crucial ecosystem for stemming global warming — in its territory at the same time as a business as polluting as crude oil is one of the driving forces of its economy an energy researcher at the Getulio Vargas Foundation calls the company’s current situation “very challenging.” “It is searching for new frontiers focusing on pre-salt and revitalizing mature wells It has scaled back its participation in foreign projects and there is the challenge of making the transition from oil company to energy company Petrobras lost its monopoly on oil a quarter of a century ago it is now in its seventh decade of existence boasting a daily production of 3.1 million barrels a profit of $35 billion last year (the biggest in its history reserves of 10 trillion barrels and 45,000 employees The last 15 years have certainly been something of a roller coaster ride The euphoria over the discovery of huge reserves of oil 300 kilometers offshore 10 kilometers deep under a two-kilometer layer of salt This lifeline promised to solve all the Brazilian people’s problems stood smiling before history with his hands covered in crude oil — Brazil was on the verge of making a great leap forward However, it was not to be. The Lava Jato investigation exposed a colossal corrupt scheme in the oil company with politicians and Petrobras bosses receiving bribes from corporations in exchange for the awarding of inflated contracts This represented a devastating blow for Petrobras as it began to incur losses and a soaring debt It was not until 2018 that the company returned to profitability During the recent tenure of the far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro refineries and gas pipelines were sold to refocus on extraction and reduce its debt the retired military officer dismissed three Petrobras presidents who wishes to harmonize gas prices so that they are no longer subject to the fluctuations of the international market a veteran of the sector who served as a senator of the Workers’ Party The latter is highly critical of the Bolsonaro-era sell-off of assets and sees the company as “a frightened turtle with its head and legs inside its shell,” he said in an interview with O Globo newspaper in May The dispute between Petrobras and the Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change over the future of the waters at the mouth of the Amazon River highlights Brazil’s dilemma The oil company’s new promised land stretches along the Equator in the northernmost part of the Brazilian coast “The equatorial belt is the major exploratory frontier that will guarantee an increase in production in the coming decades,” explains Marques The oil company’s request to explore 175 kilometers of the coast of Amapá (Brazil) to determine whether there are reserves as lucrative as those already exploited by neighboring Guyana was rejected by the environmental agency in May on the grounds of a lack of guarantees in the event of possible spills The environmental authorities demanded more detailed studies for the region thought to potentially be holding 14 billion barrels the president of the oil company had previously expressed caution when interviewed: “No one is going to stop exploring new frontiers overnight Focusing everything on the energy transition This is a double challenge.” He then suggested paying out lower dividends to compensate for the transition to the new times the Amazon Delta project represents a major asset as shown by the fact that it allocates almost half of the funds allocated to the search for new oilfields He stresses that oil from this region “leaves a carbon footprint much lower than the world average” and that Petrobras already extracts oil in two other land areas in the Amazon this is a fierce battle being fought on both the technical and political fronts It has led to friction within the government and no one in Brazil can forget the resignation of the Minister of the Environment during the previous term in protest against the construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant Lula is refusing to forsake oil in the Amazon, as Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly demanded during an environmental summit in Belen this August not to drill for oil in the Yasuní National Park has bolstered Brazilian environmentalists warns that Petrobras’ plans involve significant risks for the region in question where fishing activity is essential and which also possesses vast areas of mangroves There is no experience of how to clean up a spill in this ecosystem those most vulnerable to the company’s demands about the risks and potential advantages” as they study the conditions to be put in place if there is eventually approval to search for oil The activist points out that promises about the benefits of other projects never materialized she says: “We spent 20 days without electricity even though we have four hydroelectric plants in the state!” This is not surprising because the city receives the most royalties from the extraction of crude oil and gas in the entire country Last year these amounted to R$3.5 billion ($695 million) for a population of some 200,000 inhabitants many of whom were enticed by the black gold rush This wealth leads to a basic income of $40 per month university scholarships for the poorest and research projects aimed at the future They are aiming to become like Norway on a microscale taking advantage of this jackpot to finance social policies in the long term Maricá's councilman for Economic Development and Petroleum explains in his office: “We have to work in the certainty that the end [of oil] will come but it will no longer be so necessary or valuable That is why we are working on several fronts and have created a sovereign wealth fund.” Between 10% and 15% of the royalties are automatically deposited in this area While residents are fully aware that the local economy is overheated they hope that clean energy will generate jobs they have invested in a project of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro on the potential of hydrogen with the hope that it can supply public buses be profitable and enable the creation of a production plant for environmentally friendly vehicles Councilman Sardinha is very conscious of the ups and downs of the sector because he himself grew up in Macaé a nearby municipality that was showered with oil money in the nineties but failed to capitalize on the opportunity and is now struggling whose priority is to find a job as an autopsy assistant is enjoying the prosperity without thinking about tomorrow having to work from the age of eight and getting married at 14 The municipal leader in charge of economic development certainly keeps a close eye on Brent Crude Oil prices and international news such as the war in Ukraine Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition ¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción ¿Por qué estás viendo esto? cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS ¿Tienes una suscripción de empresa? 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The Mero 3 FPSO is expected to have a processing capacity of 180,000 b/d of oil and 12 MMcm/d of gas The company’s scope of supply includes the EPC work for all eight modules and several key components: two electric low-pressure centrifugal compressors; two electric CO2 compressors; three main injection compressors driven by Siemens Energy SGT-A35-GT62X gas turbines; four Siemens Energy SGT-A35-GT30 gas turbines for power generation; an E-house; and all electricals including an electrical control and management system (ECMS) The ECMS is being designed to provide monitoring and supervision for the power generation and distribution network for load management of the FPSO facility MISC Berhad and the FPSO operator can use the ECMS to monitor FPSO power Industrial Applications Products for Siemens Energy said: “Our mission is to help our partners in their energy transition by providing the equipment and support to create thoughtful and sustainable change without compromising their ability to meet the world’s growing energy needs.” Firefighters evacuate residents through a flooded street after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Residents cross a submerged road in a boat after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias A woman carries her belongings through a flooded street after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo rest in a school serving as a shelter for residents who lost their homes to flooding after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias A child pushes a bicycle in a flooded street after deadly People wade through a flooded street after deadly Streets are flooded after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Ingrid Monteiro carries her one-year-old daughter Aylla Perola over floodwaters outside their home after deadly shows the inside of his flooded house after deadly Heloisa Regina walks inside her flooded bar after deadly Children play in a flooded street after deadly Dayse Almeida walks on the porch of her home by furniture and appliances she lost to flooding after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo Rosimery de Jesus closes the gate at her flooded home after deadly Residents cross a submerged road by boat after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias Neighborhoods in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded after torrential rains killed at least 12 people the metro line in the city of Rio de Janeiro and a main freeway The heavy downpour wreaked havoc over the weekend the metro line in the city of Rio and a main freeway section Some people drowned and were killed in landslides while at least three died after being electrocuted Eighteen towns across the state remained at “high” risk of landslides The floods were particularly devastating in Rio’s northern peripheries It’s not normal to live like this,” Heloisa Regina said as she surveyed her flooded bar and home in Duque de Caxias a city to the north of Rio where more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours Regina spent the night trying to sleep on a pool table wondering how she was going to pay to repair the damage to the bar she has owned for 30 years Residents waded through waist-high water Monday to navigate streets in Duque de Caxias Others climbed on roofs and called for help as helicopters flew overhead according to video footage from Brazil’s Globo television network Firefighters were searching for a woman who disappeared after her car fell into the Botas River in Rio’s Belford Roxo neighborhood Around 2,400 military personnel from Rio’s firefighters corps were mobilized over the weekend and used ambulances drones and aircraft to rescue residents and to monitor affected areas Ingrid Monteiro carries her one-year-old daughter Aylla Perola over floodwaters outside their home after deadly rainfall in Duque de Caxias Authorities intervened in over 200 incidents due to the flooding across the state according to a statement from Rio’s civil defense But some people accused authorities of negligence “We are completely abandoned,” Duque de Caxias resident Eliana Vieira Krauss “Nothing has improved” since similar floods more than a decade ago Krauss carried her 80-year-old disabled father-in-law to her sister-in-law’s home herself Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Sunday declared an emergency and urged people to not force their way through flooded areas and to avoid disrupting rescue and recovery efforts lightning and gusts of wind were forecast Monday afternoon Rio’s civil defense advised people not to swim in lakes or the sea and when at home to stay away from sockets Floods in the basement of the Ronaldo Gazolla Municipal Hospital led to power cuts that were resolved by Sunday but all appointments at the hospital have been delayed by 15 days Rio Health Secretary Daniel Soranz said on X Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had warned Thursday of the potential for heavy rain in Rio Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais due to a combination of heat humidity and areas of low pressure in the atmosphere spent Saturday night on the roof where she was taken by neighbors to escape the flooding of her home in Belford Roxo she found her belongings drenched in muddy water We don’t have any money to leave,” Geralda Francisco said so this is what we’re getting in return,” she added Subsea production systems have come far in the more than 60 years since the first deployment in the US Gulf of Mexico helping many countries unlock their offshore hydrocarbon riches in the years that followed it was a combination of advances in subsea technologies and floating production and offloading vessel (FPSO) designs that supported the growth of its offshore oil and gas prowess From those first forays into the Sergipe-Alagoas basin in the northeast during the 1970s the country’s offshore oil and gas footprint has grown significantly with today’s production from the pre‑salt Campos and Santos basins—located farther from shore and in much deeper water—launching state-run oil company Petrobras to a top spot among the ranks of global producers The ongoing development of its offshore fields will continue to boost the country’s oil and natural gas production in 2024 with four installed in 2023 delivering record output The fifth one—the FPSO Sepetiba—delivered a New Year’s Day surprise when it came online at Mero 2 oil field on 31 December 2023 a new subsea technology currently being readied for pilot testing could potentially ensure continued future production of the Mero field and others by capturing CO2-rich dense gases directly from the wellstream and reinjecting it into the reservoir The technology also frees up much‑needed space and reduces weight on the FPSO’s topside by moving the separation process to the seafloor Brazil’s challenging offshore pre-salt region—first explored by Petrobras in 2005—contains estimated reserves of 30 to 40 billion BOE and comes with an extensive list of development challenges lies in ultradeep water with hydrocarbon reservoirs located at extreme depths ranging from 5500 to 7600 m below sea level and under salt layers more than 2000 m thick Managing the basin’s high gas/oil ratio (GOR) and CO2 content leaves a significant operational footprint In OTC 29762 authors from Petrobras noted that developing the pre-salt reservoirs requires “large production facilities with complex gas processing plants that limit the oil processing and storage capacities.” In the paper presented at the 2019 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Brasil the authors said that the gas processing plants for some pre‑salt fields with high production indexes and CO2 content account for nearly 60% of the total FPSO topsides area The Santos Basin is home to the Mero oil field the country’s third-largest pre-salt field and the first under a production-sharing contract awarded to the Petrobras-led Libra Consortium The field is considered one of the largest hydrocarbon discoveries in the past decade covering about 320 km2 of the Libra block and with a net pay zone reaching 420 m filled with 29 °API oil and high productivity PARIS — TotalEnergies said the Libra Consortium has taken FID to develop a natural gas and CO2 separation and reinjection facility for the Mero Field in the Brazilian deep offshore presalt using a pioneer high-pressure subsea separation technology (HISEP) will separate oil from CO2-rich gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir TotalEnergies said this technology has the potential to reduce the amount of gas sent to the topside FPSO thus enabling to reduce the GHG emissions intensity while increasing the field production capacity This technology is part of the Libra Consortium's R&D programs The HISEP subsea separation pilot unit will be connected to the Marechal Duque de Caxias FPSO (Mero 3 project) CNOOC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A (PPSA) (3.5%) Also last week, Petrobras started production through the FPSO Sepetiba at the deepwater Mero Field part of the Oslo-listed energy and marine consultancy ABL Group has been picked to act as tow master to support and supervise the towage of a floating production This FPSO will work on the third largest oil field in the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil As part of its scope of work under this contract with POSH Projects ABL’s operations in Singapore will provide a tow master to act as client representative throughout the FPSO’s 12,108 nautical mile towage and supervise all marine operations in the leadup and sail away from Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard to ensure they are carried out in line with approved recommendations and procedural documentation commented: “The towage of a 270-metre long FPSO with a gross tonnage of 150 thousand is a complex procedure ABL’s vast marine experience across all types of marine operations globally in combination with our in-house multi-disciplinary engineering competence makes us the right partner for such a project.” the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias will be installed at the Mero field 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the deepwater Santos Basin This vessel is part of the field’s third development phase or Mero-3 The sail-away from China is planned for the end of February 2024 ABL’s Regional Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region explained: “Our client representative offering helps ensure that safety and quality standards are adhered to throughout the most complex procedures mitigating unforeseen risk and cost impacting the bottom line of a project.” is a HISEP-ready vessel that comes with the integration of advanced technologies for processing CO2-rich production from the pre-salt Santos basin Built with a high production capacity of 180,000 bbls per day and 12 million m3 of gas per day the FPSO is equipped with water alternating gas (WAG) reinjection technology which exemplifies MISC’s strategy in carbon capture it can strip and reinject CO2 from fuel gas production The remaining two additional development phases of 180,000 b/d each, Mero-3 and Mero-4, are currently under construction, with start-ups expected by 2025. Petrobras revealed plans in 2023 to put 11 additional FPSO units into operation in the pre-salt layer offshore Brazil by 2027 enabling it to boost production to 2.4 million boe During the next five years, oil and natural gas are expected to be given the biggest slice of the Brazilian giant’s $102 billion investment pie while $11.5 billion is earmarked for projects that will enable a reduction in carbon footprint Recently, Petrobras embarked on drilling operations, which mark the resumption of the company’s search for oil and gas in the Equatorial Margin, stretching along the Brazilian coast from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá. The companies awarded by MEA get the opportunity to work closely together with a transnational team of Marine Energy experts on both the technical advancement of their technology, as well as the development of their commercial strategy and business plans. Each service offer is intended to put the company’s technology and business firmly on the […] Rigs and VesselsChinese yard completes hull-modules integration for Brazil-bound FPSOTopsides-hull integration was performed by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries' heavy lift vessel Xinzhenfu 7 DUQUE DE CAXIAS, Brazil — Specialists stood over intubated patients in the intensive care unit, reviewing charts and jotting down notes. They conversed in low voices, barely audible amid the incessant beeps from patients’ monitors. “People are coming from all over,” José Carlos de Oliveira, health secretary for the city of Duque de Caxias, told The Associated Press in the hospital’s parking lot. The Sao Jose facility was just inaugurated, on May 4, and already 90% of its 128 beds are occupied. Less than a week after the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, the city of Duque de Caxias bought a private hospital and began racing to transform it into an intensive care facility exclusively for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Associated Press video journalist Yesica Fisch reported this story in Duque de Caxias and AP writer Diane Jeantet reported from Rio de Janeiro. Logo Petrobras Petrobras' Agency Do a search: O uso deste material é autorizado apenas para fins editoriais. The FPSO will increase Mero’s installed capacity to 590 thousand barrels of oil Download O uso deste material é autorizado apenas para fins editoriais. This is an exclusive press communication channel. We request that demands not related to journalistic issues (for instance: advertising, legal issues, employee participation at events, academic research, and others) not be sent to this contact. 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