(PN) The Energy Research Company (EPE) has completed the technical analysis of the documentation submitted by Equinor to request authorization to begin early construction and installation activities for the gas pipeline to transport specified gas from the Raia Project. EPE considered the project compatible with the sectoral planning and recommended its authorization, highlighting its importance for taking advantage of a significant supply of national natural gas, its contribution to affordable tariffs and its adherence to the objectives of the Gas for Employment Program.
“This delivery by EPE is a milestone for the implementation of the Gas for Employment Program Decree. We conducted an unprecedented analysis, with technical rigor, respect for deadlines and constant dialogue with the ANP. It is a concrete demonstration of how energy planning can accelerate investments and ensure greater security for the country’s gas infrastructure,” said EPE president Thiago Prado.
The gas pipeline will start from the development area of the Raia Manta and Raia Pintada fields, located south of the Campos Basin, approximately 200 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and will be interconnected to the Nova Transportadora do Sudeste network in Macaé (RJ). A technical difference in the project is that all gas processing will be done at sea, dispensing with onshore facilities. This will be the first time in Brazil that gas will be specified in the offshore environment and delivered directly to the transportation system, thanks to the high quality of the hydrocarbons extracted in the region.
“The EPE studies for this project were prepared from the perspective of integrated sectoral planning, so that its implementation does not compromise the efficient use of existing infrastructure,” explained Heloísa Borges, director of Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels Studies at EPE.
The gas pipeline will have land and sea sections that, together, will total 204 km. Of this total, 200 km will be offshore, from the FPSO to its arrival on land, with a subsequent land section of approximately 4 km from the beach to its arrival at the Gas Receiving Station (ERG), located in the city of Macaé (RJ). ERG will connect it to the national gas transportation network, through Nova Transportadora Sudeste (NTS).
The system will also have a land arrival valve at Praia do Lagomar in Macaé. In the offshore section, the gas pipeline will be connected to the FPSO to receive the processed gas, and will continue along the seabed in ultra-deep waters, at a depth of approximately 2,700 m. In the shallow water section, the gas pipeline will remain covered, ensuring its physical integrity. It will arrive on land at Praia do Lagomar, and will be installed using the non-destructive directional drilling (HDD) method, approximately 1 km from the coast.
In the onshore section, the pipeline will once again be buried in trenches and will continue along an existing pipeline strip used by the Enchovão/Cabiúnas and Rota 2 gas pipelines, operated by other oil and gas companies, up to ERG. In the onshore section, the pipeline will cross two highways and will also pass through the vicinity of the Lagomar neighborhood and the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park. The pipeline will also have a piece of equipment used to check and clean its interior, called a PIG (Pipeline Inspection Gauge).
Located in the Campos Basin, the Raia Project is operated by Equinor (35%), in partnership with Repsol Sinopec (35%) and Petrobrás (30%). The asset comprises three pre-salt discoveries — Pão de Açúcar, Gávea and Seat — which together have recoverable reserves of natural gas and oil/condensate exceeding 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe). The pipeline’s expected export capacity is 16 million cubic meters per day, which could meet up to 15% of the country’s total gas demand when the project begins operations, scheduled for 2028.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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