Equinor receives installation license for the offshore section of the Rai gas pipeline in the Campos Basin

(PN) The Brazilian Environmental Institute (IBAMA) has granted Norwegian company Equinor the Installation License for the offshore section of the Raia Project gas pipeline, located in the Campos Basin. With the authorization, the company is now beginning work on installing the offshore gas pipeline, which will connect the FPSO Raia to the Cabiúnas unit in Macaé.

“Collaboration with Ibama is essential for the development of the Raia Project, which is expected to supply 15% of Brazil’s natural gas demand when it begins operations in 2028, contributing to energy security and national development. We thank the institute for its contribution to a project that will contribute to the country’s energy security and could generate up to 50,000 direct and indirect jobs over its life cycle,” stated the president.

The gas pipeline will have onshore and offshore sections that will together total 204 km (200 km offshore and 4 km onshore). The line will originate 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 (NTS) network in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. A technical advantage of the project is that all gas processing will be done offshore, eliminating the need for onshore facilities.

This will be the first time in Brazil that gas will be specified offshore and delivered directly to the transportation system, thanks to the quality of the hydrocarbons extracted in the region.

Considered one of the largest natural gas projects in the country, the Raia Project is operated by Equinor (35%) in a consortium with Repsol Sinopec (35%) and Petrobras (30%). The project will have the capacity to transport 16 million cubic meters of gas per day to the mainland and has recoverable oil/condensate reserves exceeding 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

Recently, the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) authorized the unification of the Raia Manta and Raia Pintada areas. According to the agency, the two fields are located in the same block and will share the same production unit. The ANP also noted that keeping the fields separate could result in lower government tax revenues. With the merger, the new field will be renamed simply Raia Mantada. Equinor will now have 60 days to submit a development plan for the unified area.