Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras has said that its total production of oil and natural gas in March was 2.74 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), of which, 2.61 million boed produced in Brazil and 130,000 boed produced abroad.
Average oil production in the country was 2.12 million barrels per day (bpd). This volume represents a 3% drop compared to February, mainly due to maintenance stoppages on FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis, located in Lula field, in the Santos Basin pre-salt, and on P-37, in Marlim field, in the Campos Basin. The company’s domestic oil output was also down in February for a similar reason, the stoppage of the FPSO Cidade de Paraty.
In March, the production of natural gas in Brazil, excluding the liquefied volume, was 77.7 million m³/d, 3% lower than in the previous month due to the mentioned stoppages.
Pre-salt production
In March, the production of oil and natural gas operated by Petrobras in the pre-salt layer, own portion and that of partners, was 1.50 million boed, volume 2% lower than in the previous month due to the stoppage on FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis.
Compared to March 2016, there was a 36% production increase mainly due to the beginning of production on FPSO Cidade de Saquarema, in the Lula Central area, and on FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba, in Lapa field, in addition to the production increase on FPSO Cidade de Marica, in the Lula Alto area, during the period.
Production of oil and natural gas abroad
In March, oil production in overseas fields was 66,000 bpd, volume 4% higher than in the previous month. This performance resulted mainly from the return to production after stoppages in Lucius and Hadrian South fields, in the US, which took place in February.
Natural gas production was 11.0 million m³/day, a 31% increase over the volume produced in February 2017. This increase resulted from a greater demand of gas production in Bolivia and from the resumption of production in Lucius and Hadrian South fields.