Petrobras and partners begin production from Atapu pre-salt with P-70 FPSO

Petrobras and its partners have ramped up production in Block BM-S-11A (Iara cluster)  in the deepwater Santos Basin pre-salt offshore Brazil by starting production from the P-70 floating production storage and offloading vessel (P-70 FPSO).

According to Total, a participant in Block BM-S-11A, the P-70 FPSO, which will produce the reserve of the Atapu field, has a capacity of producing 150,000 barrels of oil per day. P-70 FPSO, which can treat up to six million cubic meters of natural gas, is operating nearly 200 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

Moored in 2,300m of water depth, the P-70 FPSO will interconnect up to eight producing and eight injection wells. Production from this new FPSO is said to double the overall production capacity of the Iara cluster.

The Iara cluster was brought into production last November through the Berbigão field by using the FPSO P-68.

Petrobras and partners begin production from Atapu pre-salt with P-70 FPSO. Photo courtesy of Petrobras.

Arnaud Breuillac – President of Total Exploration & Production said: “The ramp-up of Iara’s production reflects Total’s growth strategy in the Brazilian deep offshore, where the Group focuses on giant projects that produce barrels of oil at competitive cost, resilient in the face of oil price volatility.

“The Group production in the country should reach 150,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025 thanks to ongoing developments on the Iara, Mero and Lapa projects.”

The BM-S-11A license is made up of parts of the Sururu, Berbigão, and Atapu fields.

Total acquired a working stake of 22.5% in Block BM-S-11A in January 2018. Petrobras is the operator with a 42.5% stake with the other partners in Block BM-S-11A being Shell Brasil Petróleo (25%) and Petrogal Brasil (10%).