Norway’s Equinor Halts Oil Production at Major Field Off the Coast of Brazil

Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has made the decision to switch off oil production at its largest operated field outside the European country. This field is located off the coast of Brazil.

The production halt was a result of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) instructing the stoppage of production on the FPSO Peregrino, operated by Equinor do Brasil, as communicated to the consortium partners of the asset through the Operational Safety Superintendence.

PRIO, which recently initiated the acquisition of Equinor’s interest in the field, highlighted the key areas for improvement identified in the notice issued by ANP, including risk management and assessment documentation, and adjustments to the deluge system. The FPSO Peregrino, with an oil processing capacity of 110 kbbl/d and 300 kbbl/d of water, is the operating unit at the field.

Equinor has taken immediate action to make the required adjustments as the operator of the asset, aiming to meet the regulatory requirements swiftly and accurately. The estimated timeline for completing the necessary works is between three to six weeks.

PRIO has expressed its commitment to working closely with Equinor to provide all possible resources towards resolving the identified issues, both as a consortium partner and as the future operator of the asset.

The Peregrino field, discovered in 1994, saw its first oil production in 2011. Situated 85 kilometers off the coast in the Campos Basin, the asset is located within blocks BM-C-7 and BM-C-47, and is 28 kilometers from the Polvo and Tubarão Martelo cluster.