Baúna production starts up

FPSO Cidade de Itajaí connects to Baúna field

Cidade de Itajaí (Photo: OOG)

Production has begun at Petrobras' Baúna field, in the Southern Santos Basin, off Brazil, the company announced on 19 February 2013.

Petrobras connected the FPSO Cidade de Itajaí, which arrived at the field in December, to well 9-SPS-88. The Brazilian firm estimates the well can produce up to 12,000 b/d.

Over the next few months, Petrobras expects to connect ten more wells - five production, four water injection, and one gas injection - to the Cidade de Itajaí. Petrobas expects to hit peak production in August.

The FPSO Cidade de Itajaí, owned by the OOG-TK (Odebrecht and Teekay) consortium, was converted at the Jurong Shipyard, in Singapore, and chartered to Petrobras. The Cidade de Itajaí can process 80,000 barrels of light oil (34º API) and 2 million cubic meters of gas per day. It is anchored at a water depth of 275 meters, 210 km off the coast. Produced oil will be carried by relief tankers.

With the start up of FPSO Cidade de Itajaí, Petrobras has put the third system on stream this year. The FPSO Cidade de São Paulo, began production at the Sapinhoá field in January; FPSO Cidade de São Vicente at Sapinhoá Norte went into service on 12 February.

Petrobas said the units added an additional 200,000 b/d to its production capacity.