Hulls for Petrobras’ new generation FPSOs to be built by Chinese firm

China’s CIMC Raffles, a subsidiary of CIMC Group, has secured engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts with Singapore-headquartered Seatrium to deliver the hulls for two floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels destined for Brazil’s national oil company Petrobras.

The delivery will also include living quarters and M15B module for the P-84 and P-85 platforms, which will upon completion be deployed in the Atapu and Sepia oil fields in the eastern Santos Basin, located approximately 200 kilometers offshore from Rio de Janeiro.

Following an international tender, Petrobras awarded two contracts, valued at approximately $8.15 billion, to Seatrium for the construction of the FPSOs in May. The company’s current order book includes four other FPSO newbuilds for Petrobras, including P-78, P-80, P-82, and P-83. 

The two platforms are part of Petrobras’ new generation of FPSO platforms, said to be characterized by a high production capacity. Both will have a production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and a gas processing capacity of 10 million cubic meters per day (Sm3 /d).

According to CIMC, the FPSOs will incorporate advanced technologies such as zero routine flaring and venting, variable speed drives and measures to control emissions and capture CO2, including an all-electric concept, which focuses on efficient power generation and increased energy efficiency to achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity.

CIMC Raffles has previously delivered two and, with this agreement, is currently constructing a total of four FPSO hulls for Petrobras. The company has delivered the hull of the P-71 FPSO, as well as various topside modules for multiple FPSO projects, and has undertaken the overall construction contracts for the P-80 and P-83 FPSO hulls.