Oil production has started from the fourth development phase of the Mero field off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the pre-salt area of the Santos basin. The field is operated by Petrobras (38.6%), with TotalEnergies and Shell Brasil each holding 19.3% working interest.
Launched in August 2021, this new phase called “Mero-4” will connect 12 wells to the new Alexandre de Gusmão FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) unit, with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). This project has been designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, with reinjection of the associated gas into the reservoir and zero routine flaring.
This startup brings Mero’s total production capacity to 770,000 bpd through five FPSOs.
“The start-up of Mero-4 marks the end of the development of this world-class field — with the commissioning of four FPSOs in three years — and the start of a long-term production phase generating robust free cash flow,” commented Nicolas Terraz, President E&P of TotalEnergies. “This is a great achievement for the Libra consortium and a major milestone for TotalEnergies in Brazil, a key growth country for our company.”
Image provided by SBM Offshore
