Raia Project Advances with the Completion of Gas Pipeline Section and Delivery of First Producing Well

Aug. 6 (PN) The Raia project, operated by Equinor in the Campos Basin pre-salt, has reached new milestones in its development phase. The company completed the installation of a 186-kilometer ultra-deepwater section of the gas pipeline that will connect the field to the coast of Rio de Janeiro, using pipes manufactured by Tenaris with 99% domestically sourced steel.

At its deepest point, the pipeline reaches 2,735 meters below the sea surface, making it the deepest in the world. During the installation campaign, carried out using a Saipem vessel, more than 600 professionals worked on board daily.

This progress marks another important stage in the project schedule, with operations slated to begin in 2028. Once operational, the Raia pipeline will have the capacity to transport 16 million cubic meters of natural gas per day—a volume equivalent to approximately 15% of the total projected demand for the Brazilian market.

FIRST WELL

Another significant milestone was the completion of the project’s first producing well, PDA-P14. Located approximately 200 kilometers offshore in the Campos Basin, the well is part of the Raia development, which encompasses the Pão de Açúcar, Gávea, and Seat pre-salt discoveries, boasting recoverable reserves exceeding 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of natural gas and oil/condensate.

“Completed ahead of schedule, PDA-P14 underscores the technical capabilities of the teams involved in executing a highly complex project,” Equinor stated in a market announcement.

Finally, the Norwegian company announced the arrival of the jack-up barge Saturn in the Macaé region. The unit will support the pipeline installation campaign using horizontal directional drilling (HDD), a technology that will connect the offshore and onshore sections of the infrastructure.

The arrival of the Saturn marks the start of a new phase of the campaign, which includes drilling the pilot hole, reaming the borehole, and pulling the pipe through prior to the final pipeline installation. According to Equinor, the unit’s mobilization contributes to the safe advancement of the project schedule.

Raia is one of the key natural gas projects under development in Brazil and is operated by Equinor—which holds a 35% stake—in partnership with Repsol Sinopec Brasil (35%) and Petrobras (30%). The project development entails investments of approximately US$ 9 billion. The FPSO to be used for production is also expected to rank among the most efficient in the world in terms of carbon intensity, with average emissions estimated at around 6 kilograms of CO₂ per barrel of oil equivalent produced.