MODEC has signed an agreement with Shell for the operations and maintenance of the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, to be deployed at Gato do Mato deepwater field off Brazil, for a period of 20 years.
The agreement follows the execution of the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract, which was awarded to MODEC in March 2024, and final investment decision (FID) for the project made by Shell Brasil Petróleo, a subsidiary of Shell, earlier in March 2025.
When installed, FPSO Gato do Mato will be capable of producing 120,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), as well as associated gas and water, and will be moored at a water depth of approximately 2,000 m, around 200 km South of Rio de Janeiro.
MODEC will be responsible for the design of the hull and all related topsides facilities for the FPSO, which will be moored by a SOFEC Spread Mooring system.
The produced stabilized crude will be stored in the FPSO tanks, and the oil will be offloaded to shuttle tankers to go to market.
The FPSO will feature a new built, custom-made Next Generation Hull to meet the 25-year design life.
The FPSO Gato do Mato will be the 19th FPSO to be developed by MODEC for Brazil. It will be the second unit to be delivered directly to Shell by MODEC for operation in Brazil.
Located in the Santos Basin, the Gato do Mato project is a pre-salt gas-condensate discovery that covers two contiguous blocks - BM-S-54, a concession contract entered into in 2005, and Sul de Gato do Mato, a production sharing agreement obtained in 2017.
Initial operations will involve the reinjection of natural gas for reservoir pressure support, with future optionality to export gas to onshore facilities.
The Gato do Mato Consortium includes Shell (operator with a 50% stake), Ecopetrol (30%), TotalEnergies (20%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo (PPSA) acting as the manager of the production sharing contract (PSC).
The consortium expects that the Gato do Mato field will start operations in 2029.