Chevron starts oil production from Frade field off Brazil

June 23, 2009
Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. has started oil production from Frade field, Chevron’s first operated deepwater development off Brazil.

Guntis Moritis
OGJ Production Editor

HOUSTON, June 23 -- Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. has started oil production from Frade field, Chevron’s first operated deepwater development off Brazil.

Chevron plans to continue development drilling in the $3-billion project and expects the field to reach a peak production of 90,000 b/d of oil and natural gas liquids in 2011.
The field, discovered in 1986, lies in 3,700 ft of water in the Campos basin about 230 miles northeast of Rio Janeiro.

The company estimates that the field contains 200-300 million bbl of recoverable oil. The field produces 18° gravity oil from shallow reservoirs requiring long horizontal wells.

Production is through subsea-completed wells individually tied back to an internal turret-moored floating production, storage, and offloading vessel with a 1.5 million bbl oil storage capacity.

Chevron will export the oil to world markets and pipe the natural gas to the domestic market in Brazil.

Operator Chevron has a 51.74% interest in Frade. Partners in the field are Petroleo Brasileiro SA 30%, and Frade Japao Petroleo Ltda., a joint venture of Inpex Corp., Sojitz Corp., and Japan Oil, Gas & Metals Corp. 18.26%.

Contact Guntis Moritis at [email protected].