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Petrobras not only broke a new paradigm in the construction of offshore wells, but also marked a new stage in the revitalization of mature oil fields.
Petrobras, one of the largest oil companies in the world, announced in a relevant fact to the market, on April 19, that set a national record in the time it takes to build a well in deep water, reaching the 35-day milestone in the Marlim field, in the Campos Basin. For comparison purposes, the previous record in the country was 44 days, broken in 2021 at the Golfinho field, in the same basin.
According to the Brazilian oil company, in Marlim, the historical average over the last 20 years in the construction of wells was 93 days, indicating a 63% reduction in this period. This performance generated savings of approximately BRL 40 million for Petrobras, considering the cost reduction in logistical expenses and in the rental of rigs, whose daily rate is around BRL 1,5 million, in addition to the reduction of exposure of workers to risk.
Well 7-MRL-233H-RJS is part of the revitalization project for the Marlim and Voador fields and is located in a water depth of 850 meters – equivalent to the height of 22 stacked statues of Corcovado -, 150 km from the coast. “With this record, the Petrobras not only broke a new paradigm in the construction of wells, but also marked a new stage in the revitalization of mature fields.. Any reduction in the time to build a well is synonymous with a significant reduction in costs and value creation, as this activity is equivalent to approximately 30% of investments in Exploration and Production”, evaluated Production Development Director, João Henrique Rittershaussen.
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The result also reflects the application of a new methodology in the selection of well configurations – more optimized, efficient and with faster results. The objective is to reduce the cost of building wells and optimize the Net Present Value (NPV) for the project.
Construction of this well is part of the largest ongoing recovery program for a mature asset in the world's offshore industry.
A construction of this well is part of the largest ongoing recovery program for a mature asset in the world offshore industry: the revitalization of the Marlim and Voador fields. A field is considered mature when it has passed the peak of its production. The Petrobras project provides for the interconnection of 75 wells and the installation, in 2023, of two FPSO-type platforms (floating oil production, storage and transfer system), with a combined capacity to produce 150 barrels of oil per day ( bpd).
“The expectation is that Marlim will represent a watershed in recovery projects for large mature fields, paving the way for the company to invest in other similar initiatives. Even after completing 30 years of production, the field continues to renew itself and bring new opportunities to the company”, concluded Director Rittershaussen.
According to Petrobras, with operations starting in 1991, Marlim is the Brazilian asset with the highest accumulated production, with almost 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent, and the first Petrobras project to receive the award granted by Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) – considered the Oscar of the world industry – in 1992, for the set of innovative technologies applied in the field.
