Petrobras starts up Cidade de Maricá, Route 2

Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) has started production from the Cidade de Maricá floating production storage offloading unit (FPSO), in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, in addition to the expansion of the country’s longest subsea natural gas pipeline, Route 2.

Image of the arrival of FPSO Cidade de Marica into Brasa shipyard in Brazil, from SBM.

The FPSO is located about 270km from the coast, in the Lula field in Block BM-S-11 at 2120m water depth.

Daily production capacity of the FPSO is expected to reach up to 150,000 bbl and 6 MMcum of gas, making it the seventh major definitive production system in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, Petrobras said.

With the start up of the Cidade de Maricá, the pre-salt layer of the Santos and Campos basins make up 35% of Brazil’s oil production.

The Brazilian giant received delivery of the Cidade de Maricá, a carbon copy of the Cidade de Ilhabela and twin to the Cidade de Saquarema, in July 2015.

The twin FPSOs are owned and operated by a joint venture comprised of SBM Offshore (56%), Mitsubishi Corp. (20%), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (19%), and Queiroz Galvao Oleo e Gas (5%).

Petrobras plans on starting two other major definitive production systems in 2016 – Lula Central using the Cidade de Saquarema FPSO, and Lapa using the Cidade de Caraguatatuba FPSO.

The Lula Alto and Lula Central are operated by Petrobras with 65% interest. Partners are Shell subsidiary BG E&P Brasil (25%), and Petrogal Brasil (10%).

Route 2 natural gas pipeline

Petrobras also announced the operational start up of the Route 2 natural gas pipeline, the longest subsea gas pipeline in operation in Brazil, to move ahead with the expansion of the production capacity of the Santos basin.

As the second transportation route for natural gas produced in the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin, the extension of the pipeline will be 401km. Its daily transportation capacity is anticipated to be 13 MMcum of gas, and will connect the production systems of the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin with the gas Treatment Terminal of Cabiúnas in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. The terminal had its daily processing capacity increased to 28.4 MMcum in order to receive gas from the pre-salt layer of the Santos and Campos basins, according to Petrobras.

Route 2 will be connected to the Route 1 gas pipeline that has been in operation since 2011, with a daily transportation capacity of an additional 10 MMcum. With the addition of Route 2, total installed capacity for the transportation of natural gas from the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin will reach about 23 MMcum/d.

The Cernambi-Tecab pipeline is owned by the Consortium Cabiúnas 1, and operated by Petrobras (55%) in partnership with BG E & P Brazil (25%), RepsolSinopec Brasil (10%) and Petrogal Brasil (10%).

Read more:

SBM receives Petrobras FPSO tenders

SBM completes US$1.55 billion FPSO deal

Maricá FPSO moors at BRASA

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