Spotlight: The status of Petrobras’ FPSO orders

The 2022-26 business plan of Brazilian oil giant Petrobras foresees the startup of operations of 15 new production units. 

Here BNamericas provides an update on the status of the national oil company’s FPSO orders.

The Almirante Barroso FPSO left the Cosco shipyard, in China, last Sunday, and is about to start its journey to Brazil, according to the NOC. 

The platform will perform navigation tests for five days in Chinese waters and then make stops in Singapore and Mauritius, where it will refuel and change crews. It will then proceed to the Brasfels shipyard, in Angra dos Reis, where the final stage of commissioning and acceptance tests is scheduled to take place.

Chartered by Petrobras from Modec, Almirante Barroso is scheduled to start production in the Búzios field in 2023, with capacity to produce up to 150,000b/d of oil and 6Mm3 (million cubic meters) of gas. 

The Guanabara FPSO, which was also chartered from Modec, began operations in May in the Mero field. 

Anna Nery (Yinson) left China earlier this month. It will operate in the Marlim 2 project, in the Campos basin, as of next year. 

Owned by Petrobras, the P-71 production unit is being adapted at the Jurong Aracruz shipyard, in Espírito Santo state. Originally designed to be installed in the Tupi field, it will be responsible for the production in Itapu.  

With first oil planned for 2023 in the Marlim 1 project, the Anita Garibaldi FPSO (Modec) is under construction in China

The topside modules for Sepetiba (SBM) have been lifted onboard and integration and commissioning activities are ongoing. The project targets first oil in 2023.

The topsides fabrication and hull’s construction of SBM's Almirante Tamandaré unit are progressing in China and Brazil. The project (Mero 2) continues to target first oil in the second half of 2024.

Marechal Duque de Caxias (Misc) is under construction in China. The unit is scheduled to start operations in the Mero 3 field in 2024.  

Contracted with Yinson, the Maria Quitéria floating platform is currently under conversion and on schedule for deployment in the Parque das Baleias complex in 2024. 

Alexandre de Gusmão (SBM): site construction activities are progressing in yards in China and Brazil. First oil in Mero 4 is expected for 2025.

Petrobras-owned P-78 and P-79 are under construction in Singapore and South Korea, respectively. They will be installed in the Búzios field in 2026. 

The construction of the P-80 and P-82 FPSOs, which are also programmed to be installed in the Búzios field in 2026, is being negotiated with Keppel Shipyard and Sembcorp Marine. 

Designed to produce in the NOC’s Sergipe Deepwater project as of 2026, the P-81 platform is expected to see a new construction bidding round by Petrobras soon, after the cancellation of the first tender.