Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has let a contract to SBM Offshore for chartering and provision services of the Alexandre de Gusmão floating production, storage, and oil transfer unit (FPSO), the fourth definitive system to be installed in Mero field in the Libra area of the presalt in Santos basin. The unit is expected to start production in 2025.
The FPSO will be installed about 160 km from Arraial do Cabo in Rio de Janeiro and will be capable of processing 180,000 bbl oil and 12 million cu m/day of gas. The contracts will last for 22 years and 6 months from the unit's final acceptance.
The project expects to interconnect 15 wells to the FPSO, eight of which are oil producers, six water and gas injectors, one convertible well from producer to gas injector, through a subsea infrastructure composed of rigid production and injection pipelines and flexible service pipelines. To date, the project has had four wells drilled and two completed.
Production of the first definitive Mero system (Mero 1) is scheduled to start in 2022, through Guanabara FPSO, followed by Mero 2 (Sepetiba FPSO) in 2023, and Mero 3 (Marechal Duque de Caxias FPSO) in 2024.
Mero field is the third largest in the presalt and is operated by Petrobras (40%) in partnership with Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda. (20%), TotalEnergies EP Brasil Ltda. (20%), CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gás Ltda. (10%), CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda. (10%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA), which is the manager of this contract.