Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, July 9 -- Oil and gas production was restored July 7 from Petroleo Brasileiro SA's P-50 floating production, storage, and offloading unit in Albacora Leste field off Brazil following a July 4 fire that broke out on the vessel.
Following the fire, an undisclosed amount of oil and gas production was cut from the unit, which lies in the Campos basin about 120 km off Rio de Janeiro state. Production from the FPSO ramped back up to 160,000 b/d after restart. The unit is capable of processing 180,000 boe/d.
"Full production was retaken after the transformer room cleaning operation was wrapped-up and after all other platform systems were checked and determined as fully operational," Petrobras said.
The blaze erupted in the gas compressor transformers room, forcing the company to shut down production. No injuries or oil spills were reported.
Last year, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared his country self-sufficient in oil during start-up of the P-50 FPSO vessel in Albacora Leste field (OGJ Online, Apr. 25, 2006).
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
