Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras increased its oil output last month due to new project start-up and return to operations of two offshore units.
Petrobras’ total oil and natural gas production in May was 2.80 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), of which 2.68 million boed produced in Brazil and 120 thousand boed produced abroad.
The average oil production in the country was 2.18 million barrels per day (bpd), a volume 3.9% higher than in April. According to the company, this result is mainly due to production start on May 17 in southern Lula field, in the Santos Basin, through platform P-66 ; the resumed operations after maintenance stoppage on platforms P-37 (Marlim field in the Campos Basin) and FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis (Lula field), as well as the startup of a new producing well in the Marlim Sul field, in the Campos Basin.
In May, natural gas production in Brazil, excluding the liquefied volume, was 78.9 million m³/d, 0.5% above the previous month.
Pre-salt production
In May, the oil and natural gas production operated by Petrobras (wholly-owned and partner shares) in the pre-salt layer, was 1.57 million boed, 5.1% above the volume achieved in the previous month. This result was mainly due to the production start at the Lula Sul project, through P-66, and the resumed operations of platform FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis after maintenance stoppage.
Petrobras noted in comparison with May 2016, there was a 37% increase in production from the pre-salt layer.
Oil and natural gas production abroad
In May, oil production in overseas fields was 65 thousand bpd, volume 1% higher than the previous month. This performance resulted mainly from the beginning of production on a new well in the Saint Malo field, in the USA.
Natural gas production was 9.3 million m³/d, 3% below the volume produced in April 2017. This drop was mainly due to the lower demand for gas production in Bolivia.