Petrobras has started production from the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) in the offshore Mero field in Brazil’s pre-salt Santos Basin, the company announced on Wednesday.
FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias is chartered from Malaysia’s MISC and has a production capacity of up to 180,000 bopd and 12 mcm (423.8 mcf) of gas per day. It joins FPSO
Guanabara (Mero 1), FPSO Sepetiba (Mero 2) and FPSO Pioneiro de Libra, which are already operating on the field.
The new unit increases installed production capacity from 410,000 bopd to 590,000 bopd. In all, there will be 15 wells connected to the platform through undersea infrastructure, of which eight producer wells and seven water and gas injection wells.
FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias will be equipped with TechnipFMC’s HISEP technology, which separates oil from gas at the bottom of the ocean. The carbon-dioxide-rich gas is then reinjected into the reservoir to free up space in the surface gas processing plant and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Mero field is operated by Petrobras with a 38.6% stake, in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNOOC (9.65%), CNPC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo (3.5%).