Petrobras starts Iracema production

Petrobras has begun production from FPSO Cidade de Mangaratiba, located in Block BM-S-11 of the giant Lula field. The start-up represents the first in the Iracema Sul area of the presalt Santos basin, located 300km off the coasts of the Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states.

Image of FPSO Cidade de Mangaratiba

Iracema was brought online within five years of discovery and almost one month ahead of schedule, which was originally planned for 6 November. The first well the be connected to the FPSO, well 4-RJS-647, has the prodcution potential of more than 30,000b/d. Oil produced is medium-density 30º API and will be shipped by tankers.

Petrobras said in a statement that Cidade de Mangaratiba, which has a daily production capacity of 150,000bo and 8 million cu m of gas, will be connected to 16 wells total over the coming months, split evenly between production and water injection. It is operating in 2200m of water. BG Group, Petrobras’ UK-based partner on the block, said that Cidade de Mangaratiba has the highest production capacity in the Santos basin.

Modec converted the VLCC Sunrise J into Cidade de Mangaratiba. The vessel was then contracted in September 2011 from the Schahin-Modec consortium under a 20-year charter. Module integration took place at the Brazil's BrasFels shipyard in Rio de Janeiro state.

FPSO Cidade de Ilhabela, which will produce from the Sapinhoá field in water depths over 2000m, is the last of the two FPSOs Petrobras planned to bring online this year. With its production, the two FPSOs will add 82500bo/d of net capacity to BG Group. Cidade de Ilhabela has a production capacity similar to Cidade de Mangaratiba: it can produce up to 150,000 bopd, compress up to 6 million cu m of natural gas per day. Both vessels can store 1.6MMbo.

The vessel departed Guanabara Bay, Brazil on 21 September for the Santos basin.

Saipem was awarded an EPCI contract earlier this year for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation of three offshore pipelines on the Lula field, with related terminations and free-standing hybrid risers for the gas export systems to be installed in the Lula field in up to 2200m water depth. 

Block BM-S-11 is operated by Petrobras (65%), partnering with BG E&P Brasil (25%) and Petrogal Brasil (10%).

Read more:

Sapinhoa well onstream

Cidade de  Ilhabela marches on

Third well online at Sapinhoá

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