Petrobras expected to launch four FPSO tenders by year-end

Brazil’s Petrobras is expected to launch four FPSO tenders by the end of this year, two sources familiar with the matter told BNamericas. 

This quarter, the federal oil giant is likely to publish the tender to contract a new FPSO for the Marlim Sul/Leste revitalization project (P-86) in the Campos basin, under the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) modality. 

In the fourth quarter, Petrobras should launch the rebidding for the Sergipe deepwater (I and II) and Albacora projects, in the Sergipe-Alagoas and Campos basins, respectively – both probably under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. 

The Sergipe tenders (two simultaneous processes for each FPSO) were recently canceled after the state-run firm disqualified the sole bidder, IFM Construções e Montagem. 

The Albacora contracting process was canceled after Petrobras failed to reach an agreement with Ocyan on the price of the contract. 

The oil company’s 2024-28+ business plan foresees the startup of the Albacora and Sergipe FPSOs in 2027 and 2028, respectively. 

The Marlim Sul/Leste unit is planned to be installed between 2029 and 2032, along with six other FPSOs. 

JUBARTE

On Monday, Petrobras announced that its Maria Quitéria FPSO arrived in Brazil from Asia. 

Chartered with Yinson, the unit is scheduled to start operating by the end of this year in the Jubarte field, in the Parque das Baleias complex in the Campos basin. 

The FPSO is equipped with technologies to reduce emissions, including combined cycle power generation – which allows for greater operational efficiency combined with a reduction of around 24% in operational greenhouse gas emissions.

"With an eye on the future, the Maria Quitéria FPSO project marks the entry into operation of a technology that will be a watershed in the company's decarbonization strategy," Petrobras' exploration and production director Sylvia Anjos said in a press release.