Petrobras starts Mero-4 production

• Petrobras started production at the Alexandre de Gusmão FPSO for the Mero-4 development phase in the Santos basin.
• The FPSO will be connected to 12 wells and has a production capacity of 180,000 bo/d.

Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has started producing oil and natural gas through the Alexandre de Gusmão floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO), marking startup of the fourth development phase of Mero field (Mero-4), offshore Brazil.

The field lies in Libra block about 180 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the presalt area of Santos basin in a water depth of 1,800-2,100 m.

The FPSO, one of the largest in the world, was integrated in China in December 2024 and arrived at the field in March 2025. The vessel is owned and operated by special purpose companies owned by affiliated companies of SBM Offshore (55%) and its partners (45%) and will operate under 22.5-year charter and operation services contracts with Petrobras.

The Alexandre de Gusmão FPSO will be connected to 12 wells (5 oil producers, 6 water or gas alternate injectors, 1 convertible wel) in about 2,000 m of water and has an operational capacity of 180,000 b/d of crude oil and 12 million cu m/d of gas compression with waer injection capacity of 250000 cu m. The project has been designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, with reinjection of the associated gas into the reservoir and zero routine flaring.

FPSO Guanabara (Mero-1), FPSO Sepetiba (Mero-2) and FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero-3) came into operation in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. In total, the four FPSOs and an early production system have a total installed production capacity of 770,000 bo/d (OGJ Online, Oct. 30, 2024).

The unitized Mero field is operated by Petrobras (38.6%). Partners are TotalEnergies (19.3%), Shell Brasil (19.3%), CNPC (9.65%), CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda. (9.65%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (PPSA) (3.5%). Mero field is part of the Libra Production Sharing Contract, signed in December 2013.