Petrobras appoints SLB OneSubsea to boost oil production at deepwater field

OneSubsea, a subsea technology and solutions joint venture (JV) backed by SLB, Aker Solutions, and Subsea7 has secured a contract award from Brazil’s state-owned oil and gas giant Petrobras, following a “competitive tender”, to deliver two subsea raw seawater injection (RWI) systems for the Búzios field offshore Brazil.

According to OneSubsea, a JV backed by SLB, Aker Solutions, and Subsea7, the systems are aimed at enhancing production from floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels P-74 and P-75.

The RWI systems will address water injection bottlenecks on the FPSOs, boosting production efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per barrel. By operating directly on the seabed, the systems reduce the need for topside equipment, freeing up space, cutting fuel requirements, and lowering the power needs of injection operations compared to conventional topside injection systems, the company noted.

“As deepwater basins mature, we see more and more secondary recovery opportunities emerging,” said Mads Hjelmeland, CEO of SLB OneSubsea. 

“Subsea raw seawater injection is a well-proven application with a strong business case that we think should become mainstream. By placing the system directly on the seabed, we free up space and reduce fuel needs for the FPSOs as well as lessen the power needs for the injection systems. It’s a win-win for Petrobras, and one that we are very excited about. This contract will consolidate our solid local content presence in the country, contributed by the largest manufacturing plants and state-of-the-art subsea service facilities in Brazil.”

The systems will each include a subsea seawater injection pump, an umbilical system, and a topside variable speed drive. According to SLB, these installations will support Petrobras’ FPSO operations, improving reservoir pressurization and overall recovery efficiency.

As part of the agreement, SLB OneSubsea will enhance its multidisciplinary team in Brazil, encompassing expertise in field development, system engineering, and life-of-field support. The company said it will also integrate AI-enabled Subsea Live services to provide real-time condition monitoring and technical assistance from domain experts.

In May, Subsea7 secured a contract worth over $1.25 billion with Petrobras for the Búzios field, located at 2,000 meters of water depth offshore Brazil. Under the contract, Subsea7 will perform engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, and pre-commissioning of 102 kilometers of rigid risers and flowlines for the steel lazy wave production system for the Búzios 9 field.

The Búzios field was discovered in 2010. Petrobras is the operator with an 88.99% stake with CNOOC (7.34%) and CNODC (3.67%) as partners. The current development concept for the deepwater field encompasses 11 platforms.