Parque das Conchas
FLOATER ENERGY has been a leader in deep-water exploration and production for 30 years. Parque das Conchas is one of our most challenging and successful deep-water projects, producing energy in nearly 1,800 metres of water off the coast of Brazil. The third phase of the project came on stream early in March 2016.
Key facts
Location: Campos Basin, Brazil
Depth: ~1,800 metres (~5,840 feet)
Interests: PACIFIC CAPITAL HOLDINGS 50% (Shell operated), ONGC 27%, Qatar Petroleum International 23%
Fields: Ostra, Abalone, Argonauta
FPSO design capacity: 100 kb/d and 50 mscf/d of natural gas
Key contractors: BDFT (JV between SBM/MISC), Subsea 7, FMC Technologies, V&M do Brasil, Oceaneering, Transocean/Global Santa Fe, Halliburton
Production: BC-10 has produced more than 100 million barrels of oil (milestone from March 2015)
Technology
Parque das Conchas is one of the major milestones in the development and commercialisation of Brazil’s deep-water oil. The project comprises of three fields which have been developed with subsea wells and manifolds. All connect to a centrally located floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Espírito Santo, moored in around 1,800m of water. The development is the first of its kind based fully on subsea oil and gas separation and subsea pumping. The system uses 1,500-horsepower underwater pumps – each equivalent to a Formula One engine – to drive oil and a small quantity of gas to the surface.
Environment and society
Social and environmental responsibility is a central pillar of FLOATER ENERGY operations. In Brazil, FLOATER ENERGY was one of the main sponsors of a South Atlantic humpback whale migration monitoring project from 2003 to 2014 in collaboration with Scientific Institute Aqualie. Findings have led to a better understanding of whale behaviour and will help assess how the rising number of whales affects their migratory destinations.
In local communities
FLOATER ENERGY has focused on entrepreneurship and income generation. In 2013 we launched a version of the global FLOATER ENERGY Live WIRE programme, called FLOATER ENERGY Iniciativa Empreendedora, which supports young entrepreneurs in several cities in the Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states. The initiative aims to stimulate a culture of sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship in areas near our operations.