Brazil Key Projects and Highlights
In 2012, Brazil and its flagship, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), had to face a reality regarding their capacity to deliver on time all the fleets of drilling ships, exploration and production floating units and services vessels in respect with the local content requirements.
Awarding contracts to shipyards not yet even built had started to rise questions since the accumulation of delays is directly affecting the oil and gas production and Petrobras balance sheet.
In this context, Brazil had to find solutions to speed up the delivery of the infrastructures required to develop its upstream sector without breaching its local content strategy.
The first half 2013 gave the opportunity to Petrobras to try an alternative strategy in tendering leasing contracts for floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels where wholly owned FPSOs were previously allocated.
To support this new leasing strategy, Petrobras is building partnership with the most important key players, such as SBM Offshore (SBM), Modec or BW Offshore.
In parallel, this first half 2013 has seen the emergence on the blocks of the first Brazilian independent oil company Queiroz Galvao Exploration & Production (QGEP).
In addition the Government opened the door to foreign investors in organizing the 11th round of licenses on new blocks offshore the northern coastline of Brazil.
This license round met a great success with the major companies such as Total, BG, BHP Billiton, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Premier Oil, Cepsa, Chariot were battling to take their stake of the cake.
All these initiatives illustrate major changes in the Brazilian policy in giving the priority to the delivery on time of the exploration and production units and in accepting the idea that Petrobras cannot remain as the only actor of the Brazilian oil and gas development despite all its competences and resources, opening space for other players ready to go.
Petrobras to lease FPSOs to secure 2017 oil targets
The Brazil national oil company Petrobras signed with SBM Offshore (SBM) from The Netherlands two chartering contracts for floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels to substitute the P-66 and P-67 FPSOs currently in construction and planned for the Lula field.
Toyo-Setal awarded ComperJ hydrogen facility EPC
The national oil company (NOC), Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), selected the joint venture Toyo-Setal Empreendimentos Ltda (Toyo-Setal) to design and build the new hydrogen facility for the integrated refinery and petrochemical Complexo Petroquimico do Rio de Janeiro, the so called ComperJ project.
Petrobras, BG, Repsol-Sinopec to lease Carioca FPSO
Petrobras and its partners, BG Group (BG) and Repsol-Sinopec Brazil, are preparing the invitation to bid (ITB) to be sent to the charter companies for the lease of a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel at Carioca in the Santos Basin.
QGEP gauges two FPSO sizes for Atlanta heavy crude
The first Brazilian independent oil company Queiroz Galvao Exploration & Production (QGEP) and its partners, OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A (OGX) and Barra Energia do Brasil Petróleo e Gás Ltda (Barra Energia), are currently evaluating two different schemes to develop the offshore Block BS-4 and select the corresponding Atlanta FPSO.
Petrobras, Sete and Keppel select electrical drilling rigs
The Brazilian national oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), Sete Brazil Participaçoes SA (Sete) and its contractor Keppel Fels do Brazil SA (Keppel) have selected GE’s Power Conversion electrical solutions to power and propel the first series of six semisubmersible drilling rigs.
