Two workers were injured and production was slashed when a fire broke out aboard one of Petrobras’ Marlim field platforms, the production semisubmersible P-20. Marlim is located in Brazil’s Campos basin, about 110km offshore the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The fire occurred near the platform’s chemical-injection unit, and was quickly controlled, Petrobras said. Neither injury was fatal; one worker was treated for smoke inhalation, the other for a minor ankle injury.
The Brazilian giant shut in about 22,000bo/d as a result.
Production has not yet resumed, although engineers were quickly dispatched to the site to help restore operations.
Marlim is Brazil’s third-largest field, covering an area of approximately 130sq. km. It has been in production since the early 1990s. Its output for October was 207,000 boe/d. Water depths in the area range from 650 to 1050m.
In late October, Petrobras reported its Q3 profit dove 39% against rising operational and exploration costs.
Also in late October, Petrobras announced that it would invest US$5.6 billion to refresh and repair aging platforms in the Campos basin.