French firm expands its work scope for one of the world’s largest deepwater fields

French provider of tubular solutions Vallourec has secured two new orders to deliver line pipes for an oil field development operated by Petrobras offshore Brazil.

As part of the orders defined as “major”, Vallourec will supply line pipes for phases 6 and 8 of the Búzios oil field development. The orders are in addition to the contract previously won for phase 7, representing a total of 48,000 tonnes of line pipe.

The equipment ordered for the three phases includes 346 kilometers of subsea line pipe for the risers and flowlines in the subsea umbilicals risers and flowlines (SURF) package.

Vallourec has already delivered Buzios 7, while deliveries for 6 and 8 are underway and will continue until the end of 2023.

These orders are the last to be produced in and delivered from Vallourec’s plants in Germany. The optional quantities that are intended to be added as part of these three projects will be made at the company’s Premium Quality Finishing (PQF) plant in Jeceaba, Brazil.

According to the French company, these ultra-premium line pipes will be mechanically lined pipes (MLPs) with CRA (corrosion-resistant alloy) cladding.

Philippe Guillemot, Group Chairman and CEO said: “These contracts strengthen Vallourec’s strategic positioning in Brazil, one of our key markets. It also shows the confidence our customers have in us, particularly in the continuity of our supplies, whether they come from Germany or Brazil.”

Located in the pre-salt Santos Basin, Buzios is said to be one of the world’s largest deepwater fields. It accounts for 25 per cent of Petrobras’ production alone.

Petrobras is the operator of the field with an 88.99 per cent stake, with CNOOC (7.34 per cent) and CNODC (3.67 per cent) as partners.

To remind, Petrobras kicked off production from the new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel Almirante Barroso MV32 at the Búzios field in May.

Moored some 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, at a water depth of approximately 1,900 meters, the FPSO is capable of processing 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 6,000,000 m3 of gas per day. It is the fifth platform to start operating in the Búzios field.