Equinor has begun drilling at Brazil’s Raia project in the pre-salt Campos Basin together with Petrobras and Repsol Sinopec Brazil, as the partnership eyes startup in 2028 for one of the country’s most significant natural gas projects, with recoverable reserves topping 1 billion BOE.
The Valaris DS‑17 drillship began drilling operations on 24 March in a campaign covering six wells in the Raia area, 200 km offshore Brazil in water depths of around 2,900 m, according to an Equinor news release.
The project targets an export capacity of up to approximately 565 MMcf/D of natural gas, enough to supply 15% of Brazil’s natural gas demand, while contributing to Equinor’s international equity production and long-term cashflow, according to the release.
Equinor holds a 35% operator interest in Raia, partnering with Repsol Sinopec Brasil (35%) and Petrobras (30%). Drilling activities build on the companies’ combined deepwater competence including their earlier experience on the Bacalhau field, where the DS‑17 also played a role in the drilling campaign.
Raia Shines in Equinor’s Deepwater Portfolio
“Raia is Equinor’s largest project under execution and marks the deepest water depth operation in our portfolio. Together with our partners and suppliers, we are applying world-class technology and decades of offshore expertise,” said Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s executive vice president, projects, drilling and procurement.
“While drilling takes place, integration and commissioning activities on the FPSO are progressing well, putting us on track towards a safe start of operations in 2028.”
Raia’s development concept centers on a floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) to treat produced oil/condensate and gas. Natural gas will be transported through a 200‑km pipeline to Cabiúnas, in the city of Macaé, Rio de Janeiro state.
Equinor calls Raia its largest international investment to date, totaling around $9 billion. The FPSO is designed for carbon-efficiency with average CO2 emissions intensity of about 6 kg/BOE.