Petrobras seals agreement for development and implementation of cutting-edge HISEP® project in the Mero field

Petrobras signed an agreement with FMC Technologies do Brasil, a subsidiary of TechnipFMC - which won the bidding process for the integrated Engineering, Acquisition, Construction and Installation (iEPCI™) agreement -, on Tuesday (02/01), to develop the HISEP® technology, patented by Petrobras for the separation of oil and gas at the bottom of the ocean and the reinjection of CO²-rich gas into the reservoir. Located in the Brazilian pre-salt layer, the Mero 3 project will pioneer the use of that technology.

The HISEP® technology was developed at Cenpes, the Petrobras Research Center, to add value to fields with high Gas-to-Oil Ratio (GOR) and CO² content.  It allows the separation of produced associated gas, rich in CO² at the bottom of the sea, by transferring part of the separation process from the FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading - a floating unit that produces, stores and transfers oil) to the seabed The HISEP® technology has the potential to boost production by freeing up the surface gas processing plant, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This innovation is part of Petrobras' RD&I portfolio and that of the company's partners in the Libra Consortium.

The pilot HISEP® subsea separation unit will be connected to FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias, part of the Mero 3 project, in the pre-salt area of the Santos Basin. The tests aim at reaching the technological and commercial maturity of the HISEP® technology.

The contract signed with TechnipFMC covers several stages and aspects of the project, including engineering, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of subsea equipment. This equipment includes manifolds, flexible and rigid tubes, umbilicals, and energy distribution systems. Also, the agreement also provides for maintenance and intervention services after the validation of the technology.

For Petrobras' Executive Officer for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, Carlos Travassos, this agreement is extremely important for the company, especially as it uses technology patented by Petrobras. “The technology developed at our Research Center will be applied for the first time in the pre-salt layer in Mero 3. We are confident that this will be another pioneering breakthrough for the company in the oil and gas industry. Furthermore, HISEP® will be another tool in the process of gradual decarbonization of operations, in the path of Petrobras' fair energy transition,” says Travassos.

About the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias

The Mero 3 FPSO will be the fourth unit to be installed in the Mero field, with a processing capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil and 12 million m3 of gas per day. The charter and service contracts will last for 22 and a half years, counting from the final acceptance of the unit, scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The project foresees the interconnection of 15 wells to the FPSO, 8 of which are oil producers and 7 water and gas injectors, through a subsea infrastructure made up of rigid production and injection pipelines, flexible service pipelines and control umbilicals.
 
About the Mero Field

The Mero unitized field is the third largest in the pre-salt area and is located in the Libra Block, belonging to the Libra Consortium, operated by Petrobras (38.6%) in partnership with Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda. (19.3%), TotalEnergies EP Brasil Ltda. (19.3%), CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gás Ltda. (9.65%), CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda. (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. – PPSA (3.5%) which manages the Production Sharing Contract and represents the Federal Government in the non-contracted area.