Category: Last News

Last Monday, Petrobras received firm offers for Shallow Diving Support Vessels (SDSVs) in the public tender nº 7004114860. The tender sought to hire diving vessels with and without ROV, in two different mobilization windows, March 2024 and March 2025. Most of the offers presented were aiming at the earliest mobilization, and equipped onboard with a ROV, which was also Petrobras’ hiring priority. Only 4 Owners participated in the tender, presenting in total 7 vessels all Brazilian or REB flag, with the first 3 spots of the main hiring priority going to Oceanica which proposed three vessels from abroad, with diving and ROV systems at just below USD 70.000/d. Petrobras has already received the technical documents for all offers and will now proceed to the technical and commercial evaluation phase, following the standard public tender procedures.

Oceanicasub XI, a 2009 built PSV acquired by Oceanica that will be modified into yet another RSV for Petrobras has arrived in Brazil to start the adaptation process. This vessel is the last in a series of 3 PSVs that will be converted into RSV for Petrobras’ contracts. Oceanica sub XI will follow the same path of Oceanicasub VIII and IX which are already working for the Brazilian Oil Major under charters. Her contract will have a 4-year firm duration and the vessel will also be converted to REB flag.

Enauta informed the company’s total production reached 40.6 thousand boed in September, a reduction of 79.4% compared to the previous month, when production reached 197.1 thousand barrels. The numbers were already ex pected by the market as in September, production at the Atlanta Field, in Santos
Basin, was interrupted for maintenance. The normal production is expected to resume in November

Shell has concluded another drilling campaign in Brazil. The drilling activities led by semi-submersible rig Noble Developer and supported by PSVs Tantalus Tide, UP Rubi and Vega Challenger at the CM-659 block have officially ended, with all units now being demobilized from their respective Shell contracts. The CM-659 block was acquired by Shell (40%) in partnership with Chevron (35%) and QPI (25%) on the 16th bidding round from ANP. The block is located in the pre-salt area of Campos Basin and Shell had licensed to drill up to 6 wells at the location.

The PSV 3000 type Posidonia Tiger has sailed from Malta bound for the Port of Suape, state of Pernambuco, with arrival scheduled for 20 October. The vessel is being mobilised as chartered to Petrobras without more details being disclosed. Her main characteristics are: built in 2012, liberian flag, of 3.204 t DWT, current draft is reported to be 4.2 meters, length overall (LOA) 79.31 metres and her width 16 meters.

The ANP (National Oil Agency) released the Monthly Oil and Natural Gas Production informative report for last August. Total production (oil + natural gas) was 4,392 million boed, out of which 3.282 million were in the pre-salt or 74.7%. In relation to oil, 3.462 million boed were extracted, a reduction of 1.4% compared to the previous month. In gas, production was 147.86 million, a reduction of 4% compared to the previous month. Thus, Petrobras didn’t have good news on its 70º birthday, completed last sunday (3).

Saipem fixed PSV 3000 Astro Cmt Matos and PSV 4500 UP Rubi for 60 days firm plus options each. The vessels will take over the supply duties scope under the Búzios V project that were being carried out by PSVs 4500 Larus and Píguim, of owners Wilson Sons Ultratug Offshore. The Wilson Sons vessels are being demobilized from the campaign as they will soon commence long-term charters with Petrobras. The Búzios V overall production system foresees the interconnection of 15 wells to the FPSO in two phases. The project awarded to Saipem includes the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of the Steel Lazy Wave Risers (SLWR) and associated flowlines between all wells and the FPSO.

Ipiranga, the second largest Brazilian fuel distribution company, performed its first MGO
bunker operation in Guanabara Bay. In February this year, the company engaged
in the bunkering business employing the bunker barge CD Leblon which has
been supplying LSMGO at Rio Grande port since then. Now, with the charter of
another bunker barge – CD Santos – the company will be active in Guanabara
Bay supplying MGO to offshore support vessels, bulkers, tankers, etc calling Rio
de Janeiro.

McDermott has been awarded a transportation and installation contract by PRIO for the Wahoo field, in Campos basin. McDermott will perform the transportation and installation of approximately 30 kilometers of coated 10-inch rigid pipelines and associated subsea structures. Once installed, the pipelines will connect the Wahoo field to the Frade floating production storageand offloading unit.

The contract also includes an extension option for a second pipeline. The installation activities will be
performed by one of McDermott’s rigid pipelay vessels.

Constellation signed a new three-year contract with Petrobras worth US$392 million for the charter and operation of the Alpha Star semi-submersible. Currently, the vessel is chartered to 3R Petroleum, with a contract in place until August 2024. 

The unit can be used on the Brazilian coast and there is no definition as to where she will be employed and  activities are scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2024. The charter will include drilling, completion and intervention of wells in water depths of up to 2.400 meters.

The Norbe VI drillship from Foresea, arrived in Rio de Janeiro to modernize control systems and general overhaul which includes cleaning, painting, maintenance of thrusters, cranes and piping, among other services. The scheduled stoppage time is 60 days. Thereafter, it will be made available to Petrobras to be employed in the Campos Basin under a three-year contract 

Norbe VI is a sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling platform with dynamic positioning, capable of operating in water depths of up to 2,400 meters and drilling wells of up to 7,500 meters.