Petrobras informs that the Guanabara platform vessel, installed in the Mero field, in the Santos Basin pre-salt, reached its maximum production capacity, with the mark of 180 thousand barrels of oil per day (bpd), about eight months after the unit started operating. Of the FPSO (floating production, storage, and oil transfer system) type, Guanabara achieved this result with four producing wells and three gas injectors. It is the first platform in a series of four definitive units scheduled for Mero, each capable of producing up to 180 thousand bpd of oil.

This performance is the result of the high productivity per well, the acceleration of the learning curve, and the use of state-of-the-art technologies in the field - such as the so-called loop configuration for the water and gas injection wells and the separation of carbon dioxide (CO2) by membranes. "The result shows a ramp-up of production at a consistent pace, indicating the field's high productivity and a sound development strategy, within the strictest operational safety standards," said Petrobras' Chief Exploration and Production Officer, Fernando Borges.

Reduction of CO2 emissions

The FPSO Guanabara incorporates one of the most robust Carbon Capture, Use and Geological Storage programs, the so-called CCUS, since the Mero field has a 45% content of this gas, enabling the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, consortium is developing, for application in the field, the unprecedented subsea separation technology called HISEP® (High Pressure Separation). With it, it will be possible to separate, still on the seabed, the CO2-rich gas produced for reinjection into the reservoir.

The Mero field holds not only the FPSO Guanabara, but also the FPSO Pioneiro de Libra, which operates the Early Production System (SPA 2), currently producing 50 thousand bpd. SPA 2 is dedicated to the evaluation of the field's production behavior. With the two units in operation, the Mero field currently produces about 230 thousand bpd.   

Mero: Third largest field in the country

In the second half of this year, consortium plans to install the second definitive platform in Mero: the FPSO Sepetiba, also capable of producing up to 180 thousand bpd. By 2025, the company will put another two units into operation in the field, totaling five systems that, together, will correspond to 770 thousand bpd of the installed capacity in the country.  

Mero is Brazil's third largest field by volume of oil in place, behind only Tupi and Búzios, also located in the Santos Basin pre-salt.

The operation of the unitized Mero field are conducted by the Consortium operated by Petrobras (38.6%), in partnership with Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda (19.3%), TotalEnergies EP Brasil Ltda (19.3%), CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gás Ltda (9.65%), CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A (PPSA) (3.5%), as the Brazilian Government's representative in the non-contracted area.