Brazil Orders Equinor to Stop Production from Peregrino FPSO
Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) has ordered Equinor to stop production from the Peregrino FPSO over safety concerns.
PRIO, which bought Equinor’s 60% stake in the Peregrino field in May this year, said that the order to stop production from the unit was communicated through the Operational Safety Superintendence.
Even though Equinor sold its operated interest in the field for a consideration of $3.35bn, it remained as the operator of the field and the FPSO until the closing of the transaction, after which PRIO will take over operatorship.
The ANP identified issues with risk management and assessment documentation, as well as a need for adjustments to the deluge system.
Equinor has already started work on making the necessary adjustments. According to PRIO, the work on the FPSO will take between three and six weeks to complete.
The Norwegian company has been operating the Peregrino field since 2009, and around 300 million barrels of oil have been produced by the asset since. Peregrino is a heavy oil field and consists of an FPSO, supported by three fixed platforms.