OREANDA-NEWS. Petrobras set, on December 21, a new daily oil and LNG output record, producing 2,286,000 barrels. The output volume does not take into account partner shares, and broke the previous record of 2,257,000 barrels set on December 27, 2010.

Petrobras also broke, on December 21, the daily operated production record, producing 2,470,000 bpd.

The new historical record is mainly the outcome of the contribution made by nine production systems, five of which went into operation in 2013 and had new wells interconnected to them throughout 2014. Four more were installed this year.

Of the platforms installed in 2013, the ones that contributed to this record were: P-63, in Papa-Terra field, and P-55, in Roncador field, both in the Campos Basin; FPSO Cidade de Itajaí, in the Baúna field, in the Santos Basin post-salt; and FPSOs Cidade de São Paulo, in the Sapinhoá field, and Cidade de Paraty, in the Lula Northeast area - both in the Santos Basin pre-salt.

The production systems that went into operation in 2014 and also contributed to the record were: P-58, in Parque das Baleias, and P-62, in the Roncador field, both in the Campos Basin, and FPSOs Cidade de Mangaratiba, in the Iracema South area, and Cidade de Ilhabela, in the Sapinhoá North area, both in the Santos Basin pre-salt.

The high operational efficiency of the fields located in the Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo portions of the Campos Basin also contributed to the record as a result of the Operational Efficiency Increase Program (Proef). These areas have maintained a sustainable production, in face of the natural decline in reservoirs. It is also important to emphasize the high operational efficiency and production sustainability in Operational Units in Northern and Northeastern Brazil, which have nearly compensated for the total natural decline from mature fields in these areas.

With the arrival of new PLSVs (Pipe Laying Support Vessels) and the reduction of these units' idle time - due to the Subsea Installations Cost Reduction Program (PRC-Sub) - the company interconnected 68 new wells - production and injection - through November 2014, more than the 45 wells interconnected throughout 2013.

Production operated by Petrobras in the pre-salt sets new record and passes the 700,000-barrel-of-oil-per-day mark

Oil production in fields operated by Petrobras, in both Santos and Campos basin pre-salt layers, reached the historical 700,000 bpd mark on December 16, 2014. About 74 percent of this volume (523,000 bpd) corresponds to the company's share, while 26 percent to its partners' share.

The 700,000 bpd output was reached a mere eight years after the first oil discovery at the pre-salt layer, in 2006, and only six months after it reached the 500,000-barrel mark, in June. This production represents a significant milestone for the oil industry, especially due to the fact that these fields are located in deep and ultra-deep waters.

Only 34 production wells contributed to the 700,000 bpd mark, proof the high productivity of the fields that have already been discovered in the pre-salt layer. Sixteen of these wells are located in the Santos Basin, which accounts for 61 percent of the volume produced in the pre-salt - approximately 429,000 bpd. The remaining 18 wells are located in the Campos Basin and account for the remaining 39 percent - 273,000 barrels per day.

Pre-salt oil is currently produced by 12 different platforms, eight of which producing exclusively from that geological layer.

The increase in output is due to the excellent operational performance of the well construction and interconnection activities, with support from two strategic programs: the Well Cost Reduction Program (PRC-Poço) and the Subsea Installation Cost Reduction Program (PRC-Sub). These programs are part of initiatives that are introducing continuous improvements in reducing duration and costs, not only for wells, but also E&P subsea deployment projects.