Petroleo Brasilierio SA (Petrobras) started oil and gas production on July 7 from the Cidade de Saquarema floating production, storage, and offloading unit as part of the Lula Central project in the presalt Santos basin.
Production well 8-LL-81D-RJS flowed at a stabilized rate of 30,000 b/d on July 11. Anchored in 2,120 m of water, the FPSO can process as much as 150,000 b/d of oil, compress 6 million cu m/day of gas, and store as much as 1.6 million bbl of oil (OGJ Online, Dec. 22, 2015).
The Central Lula project encompasses 18 wells, split evenly between production and injection. Lula field on Block BM-S-11 is operated by Petrobras with 65% interest in partnership with Royal Dutch Shell PLC unit BG E&P Brasil Ltda. 25% and Petrogal Brasil SA 10%.
The Cidade de Saquarema FPSO is the second production system to begin operations in the presalt this year following the February startup of the Cidade de Marica FPSO from the Lula Alto area of Lula field (OGJ Online, Feb. 16, 2016).
Six FPSO vessels are currently operating in Lula field. The other four are Cidade de Angra dos Reis at the Lula field pilot, Cidade de Paraty at the Lula Northeast pilot, Cidade de Mangaratiba at the Iracema South area, and Cidade de Itaguai at the Iracema North area.
Petrobras’s presalt oil and gas production recorded a monthly increase of 8% in June to 1.24 million boe/d. Oil production from the area reached 1.087 million b/d on June 30.