Chevron Gets Clearance to Restart Output from Frade Field (Brazil)

The Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas (ANP) has given a green light to Chevron to resume oil production from Frade field, offshore Brazil, Reuters has reported.

The production has been shut since November 2011, when the authorities ordered the U.S.-based oil company to halt all of its Brazilian operations due to an oil spill at the Frade field.

“Our preparations to restart will begin shortly following all safety procedures,” Chevron spokesman told Reuters.

Related: Frade Spill: Criminal Charges Against Chevron and Transocean Dropped (Brazil)

The oil spill occurred on November 7, 2011, while Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltd. was drilling an appraisal well from the Transocean-owned SEDCO 706rig in the Frade oil field, about 120 km (75 miles) offshore Brazil.

Chevron has a 51.74 percent operating interest in the Frade Field. Other partners in the project are Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras, 30 percent and Frade Japão Petróleo Ltda., a joint-venture company of INPEX, Sojitz and JOGMEC, 18.26 percent.