Petrobras operations offshore Brazil at water depths of around 1,500 m saw the deployment of thermoplastic composite pipes by Strohm as part of its first field trials.
Conducted last month in the Campos Basin, the testing and engineering assessments have reflected exceptional durability under harsh offshore environment following a smooth installation process in lines with the standard flexible pipe installation vessels which Petrobras' fleet are originally equipped with.
During the trial run, Strohm's TCP followed the exact methodologies that drive conventional flexible pipes, while keeping the Brazilian market in mind.
The pipe has undergone crushing and deep immersion performance (DIP) tests, as well as subsea first and second-end vertical connection tests. As part of the process, the pipe was installed in a catenary configuration in which it was kept for 24 hours to assess its behaviour under normal operational conditions.
The tested TCP is suitable for post-salt wells and the tests results provided valuable learnings that will support the qualification of TCPs for pre-salt applications as well. Since the technology is resistant to stress corrosion cracking caused by CO₂ - one of the major challenges in the area, it shows strong potential as a definitive solution for the pre-salt cluster offshore Brazil
Furthermore, TCP has a significantly smaller carbon footprint compared to conventional flexible pipes due to the materials used and its light weight, leading to lower transportation and installation costs. It can be installed using vessels currently available in the market, and further, due to its light weight, also enables simpler and more cost-effective installation methods to be deployed, such as the subsea pallet.
Renato Bastos, VP Brazil at Strohm, said, “This successful phase marks the culmination of a remarkable collaboration between Petrobras and Strohm throughout the last few months and the field trial results are proof of the innovation and quality that TCP brings to the industry. The technology has the potential to transform the global deepwater market and unlocks a huge potential for us in Brazil.
“This is the first offshore trial for Petrobras to include thermoplastic composite pipes, and it’s a testament to our companies’ longstanding relationship. The success of the field trial paves the way for wider adoption of our technology in the country, keeping us on track to fulfil our commitment to becoming the leading composite pipe supplier to Petrobras, as well as preparing for local production.”
Gustavo Calazans, Subsea Engineering General Manager, added, "This is an important milestone of our Subsea Industrialization Program in which Strohm is a key partner. This result strongly contributes to accelerate the installation of a new plant in Brazil bringing not only technological advances, but also competitiveness, an increase in local content, and cost reduction for Petrobras' projects. As the largest flexible pipe consumer in the world and with a strong demand forecast in the coming years, we welcome Strohm's entry into the Brazilian market with great expectations."
The first of a series of turnkey floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSO) has been delivered by Seatrium for deployment in Brazil's prolific Buzios field, operated by the country's national oil company, Petrobras
Following an extensive period of integration and commissioning works, the delivery was marked by a sailaway ceremony at the company's Singapore yard as Seatrium celebrated the occasion as a significant and timely milestone. Once it arrives at the Buzios field, the company will conduct the final phase of offshore commissioning works. When it becomes operational, the technically equipped P-78 FPSO will boost national oil production while advancing job creation locally. Driven by an eagerness to promote local content development for Brazil with work-force training and lpong-term skills enhancement, the company has primarily executed its activities in the Brazilian shipyards.
Seatrium has previously delivered FPSOs, floating production units, floating storage regasification units, drilling rigs and accomodation vessels that have contributed to Brazil's vast energy infrastructure while serving Petrobras' projects.
"We take great pride in delivering the first of the series of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) FPSO to Petrobras. As a leader in providing sustainable offshore energy and infrastructure assets, Seatrium is committed to supporting Petrobras in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions from their floating production units. Our long-standing partnership with Petrobras in their decarbonisation journey spans five other FPSO projects, each showcasing innovative sustainability features. We look forward to building on our strong track record of performance, leveraging our seamless One Seatrium Global Delivery model to continue delivering safe and high-quality vessels that meet the evolving demands of the industry," said Chris Ong, Chief Executive Officer, Seatrium.
Identified as Petrobras 78 (P-78), the vessel will support the development of the world's largest deepwater project that promises a production capacity of 180,000 barrells of oil per day (bopd), 7.2 million cubic metres (mcbm) of gas per day, and a storage capacity of 2 million barrels of oil.
“The FPSO P-78 is more than just the largest and most complex unit ever built for Petrobras — it is a testament to how far we’ve come. This vessel embodies the highest standards of construction and commissioning quality, integrating a wealth of new specifications and hardearned lessons from the Replicantes and Cessão Onerosa FPSO series. In many ways, the P-78 is the culmination of over 15 years of Petrobras’ legacy in building and operating FPSOs in the Pre-Salt region — a legacy now sailing into the future,” said Renata Baruzzi, Executive Officer for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, Petrobras.
While covering projects for Petrobras in Brazil, Seatrium follows their One Seatrium Global Delivery Model, which advances fostering partnerships with industry stakeholders for project delivery across the globe. This has earned the company experiences of fabricating topside modules to the weight of 54,000 mt across its shipyards in Singapore, China and Brazil.
Exail, a global leader in inertial navigation technologies, has been awarded a contract by Brazilian offshore services company Mitang to deliver 30 Quadrans Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) to be installed on Petrobras FPSOs operating off the coast of Brazil.
The Quadrans AHRS provides real-time measurements of pitch, roll, and heading, essential for monitoring platform stability and ensuring safe, uninterrupted operations during complex offshore activities, including in areas where GNSS coverage may be limited or intermittent. Its robust, maintenance-free design delivers dependable performance in harsh marine environments, supporting operational continuity and helping to reduce lifecycle costs. In addition, the system’s fast start-up capability allows for rapid deployment and swift recovery following power cycles or system interruptions, further enhancing offshore efficiency.
Quadrans AHRS will deliver high accuracy and reliability for Petrobras FPSOs, enhancing platform stability, reducing downtime, and enabling safer, more efficient offshore operations.
“This collaboration with Exail reinforces our commitment to operational excellence and safety in Brazil’s offshore sector, said Diego Fernandes, CEO of Mitang. By integrating Quadrans technology on Petrobras FPSOs, we are enhancing real-time monitoring capabilities that are critical for managing complex rig moves with greater confidence and precision."
“We are honoured to contribute to this important project with Mitang and Petrobras, said Thiago Montanari, sales director at Exail. Our Quadrans AHRS exemplifies cutting-edge innovation in offshore navigation, delivering reliable, maintenance-free performance that supports the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency in challenging marine environments.”
In a bid to advance the offshore sector on the coast of Sao Paulo for enhanced oil, gas and energy production in Brazil, Petrobras, the Secretariat for Economic Development of the State of Sao Paulo, InvestSP agency and the Brazilian Energy Council (Brenc) formalised a protocol of intentions.
This establishes guidelines for institutional, technical and operational cooperation to promote coordinated actions in infrastructure, workforce development, innovation, regulation and sustainability on the coast of São Paulo, so that it can become the prime hub for offshore operations in the country.
The development comes as part of Petrobras' Strategic Planning 2050 and Business Plan 2025-2029, comprising investment designs worth US$111bn, and US$ 77bn planned for the development of production and exploration projects, including basins off the coast of Sao Paulo.
The agreement was signed during SP Offshore 2025 by Petrobras' Executive Manager of Production Development Projects, Dimitrios Magalhaes; the Secretary of State for Economic Development, Jorge Lima; the Director of Projects and Innovation at InvestSP, Thiago Camargo, and the Founding Director of Brenc, Eduardo Varela.
"This protocol of intentions formalises the beginning of joint actions that will be outlined and executed by Petrobras, the State of São Paulo, InvestSP and Brenc, aiming at studying opportunities that encompass all the logistics, labour, financing and regulatory environment necessary for the development of offshore operations, and is aligned with the corporate strategy of strengthening Brazilian production chains and regional vocations, within a business logic and with competitive costs," said Magalhaes.
"Petrobras is responsible for 90% of the country's oil and natural gas production, a large part of which comes from our bases on the coast of Sao Paulo. Promoting actions aimed at investing in and developing the region's offshore potential contributes to the sustainability of our business and the strengthening of the sector in Brazil," said Lilian Barreto, Petrobras' Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello Research, Development and Innovation Centre (Cenpes).
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Set to operate in the Raia Manta and Raia Pintada fields in the Campos Basin, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel called Raia is currently undergoing construction.
The scale and complexity of the construction is testament to the advanced and cutting edge technology that backs the vessel. Prioritising operational safety and automation, the vessel has the capacity to process more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day with efficiency and environmental responsibility.
The FPSO's structural strength and integrated control and safety systems enable the easy execution of complicated operations while keeping sustainability in mind.
Its construction sees state-of-the-art engineering, energy transition values and teamwork, generating technology, jobs, and national development.
The vessel will operate for Equinor who onboarded MODEC to deliver the second phase of an engineering procurement construction and installation (EPCI) contract. Alongside processing equipment and hull marine systems, it will provide topsides designed to produce approximately 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day as well as produce and export approximately 565 million standard cubic feet of associated gas per day. Its minimum storage capacity of crude oil will be 2,000,000 barrels.
MODEC will also cover the initial operation and maintenance services for the FPSO.
MODEC has been awarded a contract by ExxonMobil Guyana to develop a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Hammerhead project.
MODEC will be delivering the contract in two phases, starting with front-end engineering and design (FEED) for phase one, followed by engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) for phase two.
Awaiting relevant government and regulatory approvals, the contract currently stands as a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by ExxonMobil Guyana. This allows MODEC to begin the designing-related activities to meet the project startup deadline in 2029 following approvals. The second phase is subjected to further approvals as well as project sanction by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited and its Stabroek Block co-venturers.
Simultaneously, the Operations and Maintenance Enabling Agreement (OMEA) for MODEC’s Guyana fleet has been established to enable the operations and maintenance of multiple FPSOs under a long-term contractual arrangement.
The Hammerhead FPSO will have the capacity to produce 150,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), along with associated gas and water. It will be moored at a water depth of approximately 1,025 meters using a SOFEC Spread Mooring System.
MODEC Group President and CEO, Hirohiko Miyata, said, "We are incredibly honored and excited to have been awarded this contract. It is a testament to our team's dedication, expertise, and commitment to delivering innovative and reliable offshore floating solutions. We look forward to collaborating closely with ExxonMobil Guyana to ensure the successful delivery of this second FPSO, contributing to the advancement of the offshore energy sector in Guyana."
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Boasting an operational capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil, the floating production storage and offloading facility (FPSO) Alexandre de Gusmao has begun production activities for Shell Brasil in the Mero field in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil.
Its exceptional oil production capacities besides, the FPSO will also be able to generate 12 mn cu/m of gas compression per day (Shell share 19.3%) following its connection to 12 wells as part of the Mero-4 project.
The FPSO is located 180 kilometres from the coast of Rio de Janeiro in a water depth of approximately 2,000 metres.
“Mero-4 is the latest example of how we are working with our partners to unlock value from world-class reservoirs, sustaining material liquids production and providing for the world’s current energy needs,” said Peter Costello, Shell’s Upstream President. “Our Brazil portfolio features long-life assets with high flow rates, resulting in some of our most competitive barrels on both operating cost and carbon footprint.”
The unitised Mero field is operated by Petrobras (38.6%), in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNPC (9.65%), CNOOC (9.65%) and Pre-Sal Petroleo SA (PPSA) (3.5%) representing the Government in the non-contracted area.
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The global slickline services market size is expected to reach US$ 8.23bn in 2025, rising to around USD 12.56bn by 2034 at a CAGR of around 2.79%, according to a new report from Custom Market Insights.
According to the report, the offshore segment is dominating the slickline services market as the demand for well intervention in deepwater and ultra-deepwater oilfields, such as Brazil's pre-salt reserves, is increasing.
The report highlights that as oil and gas reservoirs become deeper and more complex, operators are turning to digital slickline solutions for improved efficiency, data acquisition, and automation due to the constraints of traditional mechanical slickline techniques.
Operators are incorporating fibre-optic slicklines, memory tools, and automated control systems that allow for real-time data collection and predictive maintenance. The evolution is transforming the marketplace, enabling oil and gas organisations to remotely monitor well conditions and minimise operational risks.
Digital slickline solutions offer operators immediate access to well data, enhancing well diagnostics as operators can track downhole conditions more rapidly and with improved accuracy, and enabling better and faster decision-making.
The integration of automation and AI is another notable trend driving the slickline services market, the report notes. Automation improves accuracy, reduces human errors, and improves operational efficiency by minimising the need for human involvement.
Predictive analytics use AI to allow operators to predict which equipment will fail and when, allowing them to optimise timing of an intervention, and thereby saving costs. For example, Total Energies and Shell are deploying AI-enabled monitoring systems during offshore operations to ensure the reliability and efficiency of well intervention activities.
As a result, there has been a trend toward robotic slickline units, especially in more remote and dangerous environments where worker safety is a particular concern.
However, such innovations are expensive, proving a constraint to widespread adoption, especially by smaller service providers. This needs to be balanced against the long-term return on investment through improved efficiency, reduced downtime and more accurate well diagnostics.
In the race for innovation in slickline services, industry giants are now investing heavily in next-generation solutions that promise to reshape the slickline landscape, thus strengthening well intervention around the world.
With key approvals received and multiple contracts in place, Woodside is advancing towards first oil production from its Trion project offshore Mexico in 2028.
"Since the final investment decision, our teams have tackled challenges head-on, reaching major milestones and entering the fabrication phase," said Stephane Drouaud, Vice President, Trion, while acknowledging the Trion team's dedication and drive in making the project happen.
Three floating production unit (FPU) topside modules are undergoing fabrication work in Ulsan, South Korea. Steel cutting required to prepare the floating storage offloading (FSO) vessel disconnectable turret mooring system (DTM) has been taken care of at the Cosco Shipyard in Qidong, China.
Transocean's Deepwater Thalassa has been hired to spearhead the drilling campaign set for Q1 2026.
Another drilling contract has been reached with SLB to secure the delivery of 18 ultra-deepwater wells over three years. It is also supplying subsea horizontal trees, controls and topside equipment, with manufacturing underway.
Meanwhile, the local teams have made progress on the regulatory front. The environmental permit application has been submitted, and work is underway on the HSE management system permit application.
“We are proud to be a part of Mexico’s energy future,” Stephane said.
“With our ‘one team, one goal’ mindset, I am confident we will continue making history as we deliver Mexico’s first ultra-deepwater development.”
The Trion field lies 180 km off the Mexican coast at a water depth of 2500 m and was discovered by Mexican National Oil Company PEMEX in 2012.
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Subsea 7 has won a significant contract from Petrobras via a competitive tender, for the development of the Buzios 11 field offshore Brazil
The company will be providing engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, and pre-commissioning of 112 km rigid risers and flowlines system for the field development.
While the company will be initiating project management and engineering work from its offices in Rio de Janeiro, Suresnes and Sutton, it will handle pipelines fabrication from its spoolbase in Brazil.
Located approximately 180 kms off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 2,000 metres water depth in the pre-salt Santos basin, activities on the site will take place in 2027 and 2028.
Yann Cottart, Senior Vice-President Brazil and Global Projects Centre West said, "This award again underscores Subsea7’s proven expertise in delivering complex, world-scale size projects, reinforcing our strong execution capabilities and commitment to operational excellence and safety.
"With a solid backlog and a diverse portfolio, we continue to drive value for our shareholders while further contributing to Brazil’s development. We thank Petrobras for their trust and look forward to once again playing a significant role in the success of the Buzios field."
Seamless tubular solutions provider, Vallourec is also contributing in the Petrobras-operated Buzios project.
Seamless tubular solutions provider, Vallourec, has been chosen by Allseas to supply line pipes for Buzios 10 offshore project located at the Petrobras-operated Buzios field.
The risers and flowlines for the project will be made of Vallourec's 18,000 tons of subsea seamless premium carbon steel line pipes. The contract also extends beyond this initial offering to also leave scope for an aditional 5,000 tons approximately.
The Buzios field that is situated off the coast of Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's largest deepwater fields under Petrobras' name. Undoubtedly one of the company's most important portfolio, five additional units from the site are being worked upon so that they can start production to meet optimisation targets by 2028.
The services of a centralised digital portal by Vallourec called the Pipe Navigator solution will also be a part of the contract, offering the client a holistic idea of its line pipe projects via instant up-to-date contractual documentation, data and analysis. The entire production will be carried out at Valourec's facility in Jeceaba (Minas Gerais, Brazil) to ensure high local content and a reduced carbon footprint.
Philippe Guillemot, Group's Chairman and CEO, said, “This contract reinforces our strategic positioning in Brazil, one of our key markets for complex offshore projects. It also serves as legacy to our ability to deliver premium tubular solutions, fully manufactured in Brazil. This contract also validates the investment strategy implemented over the past three years to enhance our industrial performance and meet the most demanding requirements of our customers.”
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Petrobras-contracted PA-38 jack-up platform has arrived in the Sergipe Basin to initiate well decommissioning activities in the Guaricema field, in shallow waters, approximately 9km from the coast.
These are in line with Petrobras' US$1.7bn-worth Facilities Decommissioning Programme in Sergipe that falls under the company's Strategic and Business Plan for the period 2025 to 2029.
With legs measuring almost 150 meters in height (equivalent to a 42-story skyscraper) and weighing 12,700 tons (equivalent to more than 12,000 popular cars), the self-elevating platform will perform intervention activities in oil and natural gas wells for their deactivation and capping. The initial campaign will last approximately seven months, with subsequent movement to other wells.
“Petrobras is advancing its decommissioning processes in the Sergipe Basin, a natural step for assets with more than 25 years of production in a mature industry such as Brazil’s oil and gas industry. All work is being conducted using the best techniques and in line with current regulations,” said Carlos Castilho, Petrobras’ General Manager of Decommissioning Projects.
The decommissioning of as many as 26 production units will be initiated by Petrobras in Sergipe, unlocking opportunities to the industry and the local supply chain. The Sergipe Basin is the second with the largest volume of investments in decommissioning in the country, right after the Campos Basin, which occupies the first position. Petrobras' operational unit in the region, headquartered in Aracaju, is dedicated to decommissioning operations in the Sergipe-Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceara Basins.
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