Petrobras started production from the P-61 platform at the Papa Terra heavy oil field, offshore Brazil, the operator confirmed on 16 March.
The P-61 is a tension leg wellhead platform (TLWP), the first of its kind to be installed offshore the South American country and the first to use floating dry tree technology there.
In 2013, while presenting at OTC Brasil, Chevron Brazil President Eunice De Carvalho highlighted why a partnership between Chevron and Petrobras has worked with regards to the Frade and Papa Terra fields: technology exchanges. “We’re bringing together what we’re both good at, Petrobras with FPSOs and Chevron with tension leg wellhead platform (TLWP).”
The topside of P-61 was built at the Keppel Felds shipyard in Singapore. The hull and mating operation were completed at the Brasfels shipyard in the city of Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro.
Topsides engineering was provided by McDermott International and the hull engineering was performed by FloaTEC, the joint venture company between McDermott and Keppel. McDermott performed float-over project management and TLWP installation offshore, as well as installation of the anchor piles and tendons, the cross-company project team was responsible for commissioning.
The P-61 platform is connected to a tender assisted drilling platform and is equipped with a drilling and well completion rig.
Currently, there are five production and six injection wells interconnected to P-63, an additional five injection wells will be interconnected, Petrobras says. Thirteen production wells will be interconnected to P-61, the well known as PPT-16, which is currently in operation, is the platform’s first well.
The P-61 transfers oil and gas through flexible lines to the P-63 FPSO, which went into operation on November 2013. The FPSO unit can process 140,000 b/d and 1 MMcm of gas. It can also inject 340,000 bbl of water.
Shuttle tankers transport the oil from the field and the surplus gas, not consumed on the platforms, is injected into a nearby reservoir.
The production wells of P-63 are connected to the platform via subsea flexible pipes equipped with electric heating known as IPB (integrated production bundle) and the field’s 18 production wells feature subsea centrifuge pumps.
The Papa Terra field is in Block BC-20, in the southern tip of Campos Basin. The field lies 110km offshore Brazil at a water depth ranging from 400-1400m. It is thought to contain 700MMboe of resources.
Petrobras operates Papa Terra with 62.5% interest. Chevron holds the remaining 37.5% interest.
Image: The P-61 and P-63/McDermott International
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