Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) has started production operations with the Maria Quitéria floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit at the Jubarte field in Brazilian waters.
The Jubarte field, which is fully owned by Petrobras, is situated in the pre-salt Campos Basin within the Parque das Baleias region of Espírito Santo.
According to Petrobras, FPSO Maria Quitéria is designed to produce up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day and process up to five million cubic metres of natural gas daily.
The Jubarte project encompasses eight production wells and eight injection wells.
Petrobras stated that FPSO Maria Quitéria commenced operation ahead of the planned timeline, which was initially projected for 2025.
The platform is equipped with technology intended to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions while improving efficiency. Petrobras projects a 24% reduction in emissions as part of this operation.
The FPSO unit has a height of 156m and a length of 333m. It has been installed at a water depth of 1,385m.
Apart from Jubarte, the Parque das Baleias area includes several fields. These include Baleia Anã, Caxaréu, Cachalote, Pirambú, and Mangangá.
The Jubarte field was initially discovered in 2001.
In 2019, Petrobras and the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) extended the concession for the unified Jubarte field until 2056. This enabled the deployment of the FPSO Maria Quitéria as a new production system under the Parque das Baleias Integrated Project, alongside other related initiatives.
Currently, three other platforms operate within Parque das Baleias, which are P-57, P-58, and FPSO Cidade de Anchieta.
FPSO Maria Quitéria is projected to contribute approximately 40% of the field’s total production when it becomes fully operational.
Maria Quitéria is one of 11 new production platforms that Petrobras plans to install in Brazil’s pre-salt layer by 2027, as announced in September 2023. The company will also invest $64bn in exploration and production (E&P) activities under its Strategic Plan for 2023–2027.
