Petrobras has announced plans to simplify its projects and reduce costs, with a focus on floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units. The company aims to limit expenses for these platforms to $3.5 billion.
Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras’ Director of Engineering, Technology, and Innovation, stated that the objective is to streamline projects and attract more suppliers to increase competitiveness in bidding processes, using replica FPSOs as a reference.
“When we made the first replicators, the topsides weighed no more than 30 thousand tons. Today, the topsides of the Búzios FPSOs are weighing more than 60 thousand tons. So, we need to go back to basics. That is the work we are doing. We took a project from the replicators and evaluated: what do we need to change to make a leaner project? We concluded this study and are already implementing it in several projects,” Baruzzi said.
Baruzzi noted efforts to optimize spending in the subsea area. “We work hard with the market, looking for new suppliers, and in the last bidding process we had a pleasant surprise: we received four proposals, well below the previous ones,” she said.
She also highlighted that bids for FPSOs in the Albacora, Sergipe Águas Profundas (SEAP 1 and 2), and Marlim Revitalization projects have been simplified. “The Albacora project, for example, is already much simpler. We also implemented several simplifications in SEAP 1 and 2. Because of this, the bidders themselves asked for an additional 60 days to prepare their proposals,” Baruzzi stated.
The bidding process for the FPSO for the Barracuda-Caratinga revitalization was canceled following unsuccessful negotiations with Shapoorji, an Indian company. “We went back to the drawing board and will review all the points, possibly even the production capacity of the platform. We will review the entire project. Nothing is off the table,” Baruzzi said.
She added that Petrobras is considering reusing one of three platforms scheduled for decommissioning in the Barracuda-Caratinga field. In the canceled bid, Petrobras sought a platform capable of producing up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day and processing up to 6 million cubic meters of gas daily. The project is part of the company’s strategy to revitalize the Campos Basin.
Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.) is a Brazilian state-controlled oil and gas company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1953, it is one of the largest integrated energy companies in Latin America, primarily engaged in the exploration, production, refining, and distribution of oil, natural gas, and derivatives. Petrobras operates extensively in Brazil’s offshore pre-salt basins, including the Campos and Santos basins, and is known for its expertise in deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling.
The Shapoorji Pallonji Group is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, established in 1865. It operates across various sectors, including construction, real estate, infrastructure, and energy. Its energy division, through subsidiaries like SP Energy, engages in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for oil and gas projects, including offshore platforms.