Petrobras Restarts Production From Manati Field

After the repairs on the export pipeline’s subsea valve, the Brazilian energy giant Petrobras resumed gas production from the Manati field offshore Brazil.

To remind, Petrobras – the operator of the Manati field – said last week that the production of gas from the field stopped on Friday, December 10. The stoppage was caused by the improper closure of a valve in the field’s partly submerged export gas pipeline.

The company stated at the time that the pipeline’s operation was safely interrupted and that teams were mobilized for the repair.

Enauta, which holds a 45 percent interest in the field, stated that production was resumed after the completion of the repairs on the subsea pipeline valve.

Interestingly, this was the second time the production at the field was halted in 2021. Production was interrupted for the first time due to small gas leakage in late September and it was resumed on October 3 after the repair of the pipeline between the compression station and the gas treatment station was completed.

As for the field itself, wells on Manati are connected by subsea lines to the PMNT-1 platform, which is a fixed production unit some 6 miles offshore.

Gas flows from there via a pipeline to a compression plant, where it is compressed and travels further to the processing plant. Aside from gas, the Manati field also produces condensate.

Petrobras has previously announced its intention to sell its entire 35 percent stake in the field. Enauta, which holds 45 percent in the field, along with PetroRio, which holds 10 percent, announced agreements to sell their entire interests in this field to Gas Bridge.

The Gas Bridge transaction is subject to a series of conditions precedent, all actions required for the conclusion of the agreement are expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

The final 10 percent is held by GeoPark, which also approved an agreement in November 2020 to sell its stake in the Manati field to Gas Bridge for about $27 million. The closing of this transaction is also expected by the end of the year.

Petrobras previously stated in its operational updates that the average production of the field in November 2021 was 120.7 million cubic feet per day, 42.4 million cubic meters per day of which was Petrobras’ share.

To contact the author, email bojan.lepic@rigzone.com