On May 21, the ANP authorized the start of operations for the FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão. The floating production, storage, and offloading unit is already located in the Mero field, in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin, approximately 190 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and is operated by Petrobras.

The ANP's authorization process includes the approval of operational safety aspects and the platform’s production measurement systems. The Agency began inspections and audits while the unit was still at the shipyard in China, with the process being completed after the platform arrived in Brazil.

By auditing the FPSO at the shipyard stage, the ANP was able to identify non-conformities early on, allowing for timely corrections. In the case of the Alexandre de Gusmão, these adjustments were made by Petrobras and SBM Offshore, the unit’s owner.

This approach not only speeds up the authorization process but also contributes to safer platform operations.

Regarding operational safety systems, the ANP issued 57 technical opinions and conducted 79 condition analyses, resulting in 45 approvals.

As for the measurement systems, the ANP reviewed hundreds of documents and identified 15 non-conformities—five of which were considered critical—during the shipyard phase. The Agency also evaluated and approved the corrective actions implemented by the companies. These systems are essential for ensuring accurate measurement of oil and gas production, which directly impacts royalties and other government revenues owed by the operator.

The unit, which is chartered by Petrobras from SBM Offshore, has a production capacity of up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and can process up to 12 million cubic meters of gas per day. Currently, the Mero field already has four FPSOs in operation: Pioneiro de Libra, Guanabara, Sepetiba, and Marechal Duque de Caxias.