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Auction provided a total subscription bonus of BRL 11.1 billion, from which BRL 7.7 billion were destined to states and cities. Total expected investments is of nearly BRL 204 billion.
Petrobras started on April 30th, production of oil and natural gas by means of FPSO Guanabara, first definitive production system installed in the Field of Mero, in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin. The platform, of the FPSO type (floating production storage and offloading unit) has capacity to process up to 180,000 barrels of oil and 12 million m³ of gas, which represents 6% of production operated by Petrobras, contributing to the expected growth of production of the company. Mero is the third largest oil field of the pre-salt (behind only Búzios and Tupi) and is managed by Pré-Sal Petróleo by means of its production sharing agreement (CPP).
Platform arrived to the field of Mero by the end of January 2022. In this period, it was connected to wells and subsea equipment, and it passed the final tests before commencing production. The first wave will interconnect 6 production wells and 7 injection wells to the FPSO. The expectation is that the platform will reach production peak by the end of 2022.
"FPSO Guanabara is the most complex oil production unit operating in Brazil. Implementation of a project with this technology is the result of more than a decade of learning with the pre-salt and of the integrated work between Petrobras, partners and suppliers. The project was conceived with the purpose of combining productive capacity, efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction", says João Henrique Rittershaussen, Petrobras'' Production Development Officer.
The weight of the platform is of 102,443 tons (equivalent to 258 Boeings 747); height of 172 meters, equivalent to 4.6 statues of the Christ the Redeemer and length of 332 meters, or three football fields. Additionally, it has the capacity to generate power of 100 megawatts, which is sufficient to supply a city of 330,000 inhabitants.
Built and operated by Modec, the unit is located more than 150 km away from the coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro at a water depth reaching 1,930 meters. Altogether, more than three definitive platforms are schedule to commence operation in the field of Mero according to Petrobras'' 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
FPSO Guanabara has gas reinjection systems, where the production of gas with content of 45% of carbon dioxide (CO2), after the own consumption on board the FPSO, shall be fully reinjected in the deposit with the purpose of keeping the pressure and improving oil recovery, in addition to reduce launch of CO2 to the atmosphere. Reinjection of gas will be made in an alternate manner with the injection of gas (Water Alternating Gas - WAG).
Additionally, the Mero field is developing a brand-new separation technology still on seabed of gas rich in CO2 from petroleum, to be later reinjected from the seabed, reducing the amount of gas that reaches the FPSO, thus increasing the availability of FPSO in terms of oil and project efficiency.
The Mero 1 project is part of one of the most solid programs of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage of the world - called CCUS. Such initiatives are in line with the commitment of Petrobras to reduce by 32% the intensity of carbon in the Exploration and Production area until 2025.