FPSO downtime affects Petrobras’ domestic oil output

Brazil’s state-owned oil giant Petrobras experienced a drop in domestic oil output during April due to scheduled stoppages of two FPSO units in Campos Basin. 

The company’s total production of oil and natural gas in April was 2.72 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), of which 2.60 million boed produced in Brazil and 120,000 boed produced abroad.

The average oil production in the country was 2.10 million barrels per day (bpd), a 1% drop compared to March. This result was mainly due to the continued scheduled stoppage of FPSO P-37, located in the Marlim field, and to scheduled stoppage of FPSO P-43, in the Barracuda and Caratinga fields, both located in Campos Basin.

In April, the production of natural gas in Brazil, excluding the liquefied volume, was 78.5 million m³/d, 1% higher than the previous month. This increase is due mainly to the resumed operations of FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis, installed in Santos Basin, after the maintenance stoppage.

Pre-salt production

In April, production of oil and natural gas operated by Petrobras (wholly-owned and partner shares) in the pre-salt layer was 1.50 million boed, in line with previous month.

Compared to April 2016, there was a 50% production increase mainly due to the beginning of production on FPSO Cidade de Saquarema and FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba, in addition to the growth in production on platforms FPSO Cidade de Maricá, Cidade de Paraty and Cidade de Itaguaí within the period.

Production of oil and natural gas abroad

In April, oil production in overseas fields was 64,000 bpd, volume 3% lower than in the previous month. Natural gas production was 9.6 million m³/d, 12% lower than the volume produced in March 2017. The reduction occurred mainly due to the completion of tests on wells in Lucius and Hadrian South fields, in the USA, in addition to the reduction of own production in Bolivia.