Petrobras, TechnipFMC take HISEP subsea at Mero Field offshore Brazil

Offshore staff

HOUSTON — Petrobras has awarded TechnipFMC an integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (iEPCI) contract for the Mero 3 HISEP (High Pressure Separation) project in the presalt Santos Basin offshore Brazil.

This involves the use of subsea processing to capture CO₂-rich dense gases for reinjection into the reservoir. 

TechnipFMC said the contract is worth more than $1 billion.

The two companies have together advanced qualification of some of the main core technologies in Petrobras’ patented HISEP process, some of which are proprietary and will also be used in other subsea applications. They include gas separation systems and dense gas pumps to enable injection of CO₂-rich dense gas.

Mero 3 will be the first to apply HISEP in a subsea setting. The process is also said to increase production capacity offshore by debottlenecking the topside gas processing plant.

Petrobras and its partners in the Libra Block consortium developing the Mero Field are supporting the development. The Libra consortium consists of Petrobras as operator (38.6%); Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda. (19.3%); TotalEnergies EP Brasil Ltda. (19.3%); CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda. (9.65%); CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gas Ltda. (9.65%); and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (3.5%), as the Brazilian government's representative in the non-contracted area.

TechnipFMC’s scope covers design, engineering, manufacture and installation of manifolds, flexible and rigid pipes, umbilicals and power distribution system, and provision of life of field services.

Earlier this week, Petrobras started production through the FPSO Sepetiba at the deepwater Mero Field in Brazil’s presalt Santos Basin.

01.04.2024