The Bacalhau floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit has arrived at its final destination in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil, where it will operate at Equinor’s field. The 370-meter-long vessel, built by Japanese firm MODEC, completed a two-month journey from Singapore after integration and commissioning work.
Project teams have begun anchoring the FPSO with the assistance of four tugboats. Next steps include connecting umbilicals and risers already installed on the seabed and continuing the vessel’s commissioning. “With the arrival of the FPSO Bacalhau, we will focus on the next activities of the project,” said Trond Bokn, Equinor’s Senior Vice President of Project Development. “Our teams are focused on ensuring a safe start of operations.”
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The Bacalhau FPSO, the largest of its kind delivered to Brazil, has a production capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It features a new hull design developed by MODEC and is the world’s first FPSO with DNV’s Abate notation, awarded in July 2024.
Bacalhau is operated by Equinor (40%) in partnership with ExxonMobil (40%), Petrogal Brasil (20%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (PPSA). The field is located 185 kilometers off the coast of Ilhabela, São Paulo, in water depths exceeding 2,000 meters.
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Discovered by Petrobras in 2012 and operated by Equinor since 2016, Bacalhau is the first greenfield development in the pre-salt by an international operator. First oil is expected in 2025, with Phase 1 reserves exceeding one billion barrels.
“Bacalhau is a very important project in Equinor’s portfolio,” said Veronica Coelho, President of Equinor in Brazil. “Seeing the FPSO arrive at the field is a very relevant milestone.”
