Petrobras said on Friday that it started the bidding process for the acquisition of a new FPSO for the Búzios field, in the Santos Basin pre-salt. Named P-80, the platform will be the ninth unit to operate in the field, with the capacity to process 225 thousand barrels of oil and 12 million m3 of gas daily. Like the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré, under construction, the P-80 will be the largest oil production unit operating in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. The forecast is that the P-80 will start operating in 2026.
The unit will be contracted in EPC mode (engineering, supply and construction) and is the result of Petrobras’ strategy of developing new projects for its own platforms, incorporating the lessons learned from the FPSOs already installed in the pre-salt, including aspects of contracting and construction. The hiring model, as in previous experiences, foresees the participation, through public prequalification, of national and international companies, all with recognized experience.
Petrobras continues to use the concept of standardized projects as a reference for these contracts, incorporating standardization of specifications and a model for approaching the market. Innovations were also implemented, such as: a mechanism for the treatment and reinjection of the water produced in the reservoir; technologies aimed at reducing pollutant gas emissions and the incorporation of systems that reduce the need for diving to inspect the hull.
Búzios
The Búzios field, discovered in 2010, is the largest deepwater oil field in the world. It is a world class asset, with substantial reserves, low risk and low cost of extraction. It should reach the end of the decade with daily production of over 2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, making it Petrobras’ most productive asset.
Currently, there are four units in operation in Búzios, which account for more than 20% of Petrobras’ total production. The fifth and sixth platform (FPSOs Almirante Barroso and Almirante Tamandaré) are under construction. The seventh and eighth units (FPSOs P-78 and P-79) are in the process of being contracted.
