KUALA LUMPUR: MISC Group has achieved first oil for its floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit Marechal Duque de Caxias on Oct 30.
Marechal Duque de Caxias, one of the largest ultra-deepwater FPSOs in the world, is equipped with technology designed to operate efficiently in the deepwater environment of the pre-salt Santos Basin, offshore Brazil.
The company said the milestone marked a significant achievement for the group and demonstrated its commitment to safety, operational excellence and innovation in the offshore oil and gas industry.
The FPSO is chartered to Brazil's national oil and gas company, Petrobras on behalf of the Libra Consortium, which develop the Mero unitised field, operated by Petrobras (38.6 per cent) in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3 per cent ), TotalEnergies (19.3 per cent), CNPC (9.6 per cent), CNOOC (9.65 per cent), and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA) (3.5 per cent), representing the government in the non-contracted area.
MISC Group president and group chief executive officer Zahid Osman said it is a significant achievement for the group, demonstrating its capability to deliver projects and innovative solutions in a competitive sector.
"We look forward to continuing this momentum and contributing to a broader global energy landscape and the world's need for energy security," he added.
Marechal Duque de Caxias has a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day, storage capacity of 1.4 million barrels and total gas handling capacity of 440 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd).
It is the first FPSO in the world equipped to receive the cutting-edge High-Pressure Separation (HISEP) technology, an innovative solution that separates carbon dioxide (CO2)-rich gas from production streams and reinjects it back into the reservoir, therefore reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.
The FPSO is also equipped with water alternating gas reinjection technology as well as stripping and reinjecting CO2 from fuel gas production, with a capacity to compress up to 48 mmscfd of CO2, further underscoring MISC's commitment to sustainable practices.
Upon completion of its construction phase, the FPSO made its way on Feb 24 from Yantai, China to the Mero field in the Santos Basin, about 180km from Rio de Janeiro.