Petrobras’ board is working on the possibility of bringing forward the start of production on the P-71 platform to this year. The information was revealed by the company’s production development director, João Henrique Rittershaussen, during a conference call with investors. As a reminder, the P-71 will be installed in the Itapu field and is part of the replicating platform family. Currently, the unit is in the final stage of construction at the Jurong shipyard, in Espírito Santo.
“We have the prospect of having very good news regarding the P-71. We have the prospect of leaving the shipyard in the next two months. If we can do that, it will be possible to bring the first oil of the P-71 forward to 2022. We have a great possibility of that happening”, declared Rittershaussen. The P-71 has a production capacity of 150,000 barrels per day. As we have already reported, the platform already has an installation license granted by Ibama. According to the schedule released, the idea was for the vessel to have its first oil in 2023.
Recently, Petrobras also announced that the FPSO Almirante Barroso left the Cosco shipyard, in China, heading to Brazil. In this case, according to Rittershaussen, the forecast for the start of production remains 2023 and there is no possibility of anticipation for logistical and technical reasons. The platform will be the fifth unit in the Búzios field, in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin.
“Even if we could arrive with the FPSO at the location earlier, we have a resource that is dedicated to installing the unit’s collection system. This resource, the rigid pipeline launch boat, will arrive at the location along with the platform and was contracted well in advance. So both the FPSO and the launch boat are synchronized to arrive at the location together,” he detailed. In the case of the P-71, the interconnection of wells is done with flexible lines, thus involving another type of installation process.
In addition to the FPSO Almirante Barroso, Petrobras also has other units planned for 2023: Anna Nery, in Marlim, which is also sailing to Brazil; the FPSO Sepetiba, for Mero 2; and the FPSO Anita Garibaldi, which will also be installed in Marlim.
The director of Petrobras also recalled that the company currently has 11 FPSOS in the execution phase. Two other units are under contract – Búzios 9 (P-80) and Búzios 10 (P-82). “We received the proposals in May. We closed the prices of lot A, which aims to contract the P-80, for Búzios 9, and we are in the process of negotiating lot B”, he added. The best bids made in this tender were submitted by Keppel Shipyard.
Brazil Energy Insight 
Leave a comment