Fabricator Seatrium has confirmed the Petrobras 78 (P-78)—the first of a series of turnkey floating production, storage, and offloading vessels (FPSO) to Brazil’s Petrobras—will be delivered imminently.
The sailaway ceremony for P-78 took place 2 weeks ago at Seatrium’s Singapore yard. Upon delivery, the P-78 will be deployed in Brazil’s prolific Buzios field with a production capacity of 180,000 B/D of oil, 7.2 million m3/D of gas, and a storage capacity of 2 million bbl of oil. Seatrium said the P-78 will rank among the largest in the global operating fleet of FPSOs.
The fabricator said it fabricated the P-78’s 54,000-metric-tonne topside modules across its shipyards in Singapore, China, and Brazil, in addition to integration and commissioning work on the vessel in Singapore. Once at its final location, Seatrium will conduct the final phase of offshore commissioning work on the FPSO.
“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,” said Renata Baruzzi, executive officer for engineering, technology, and innovation for Petrobras.
“This vessel embodies the highest standards of construction and commissioning quality, integrating a wealth of new specifications and hard-earned 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.”
Seatrium continues to work with Petrobras on key FPSO projects to develop new deepwater resources offshore Brazil. With the P-78 sailaway, the yard still has FPSO P-80 in-house. The hull was moved from China to Singapore in April to undergo module integration. The FPSO, with a capacity to produce up to 225,000 BOPD and 12 million m3/D, is expected to join the P-78 in the Buzios field in 2027.
In May 2024, Seatrium and Petrobras signed an $8.2 billion deal for the construction and delivery of a pair of FPSOs destined for the Atapu and Sepia fields, respectively.
The P-84 and P-85 FPSOs will each be capable of producing 225,000 B/D and 10 million m3/D of natural gas. Both units will also boast zero routine flaring and venting, variable speed drives, and added measures to control emissions and capture CO2.
