Oil production starts at Mero field in Brazil

TotalEnergies announced the start of production from the second development phase of the Mero field on the Libra block located more than 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the pre-salt area of the Santos Basin.

Sanctioned in June 2019, this second development phase “Mero-2” includes the Sepetiba FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit) with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). In a statement, TotalEnergies said that the FPSO has been designed for zero routine flaring to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, with the associated gas reinjected into the reservoir.

With Mero-2, the Mero field will reach a production capacity of 410,000 b/d. Two additional development phases of 180,000 b/d each, Mero-3 and Mero-4, are currently under construction, with start-ups expected by 2025. At full capacity, production from the Mero field is expected to amount to more than 100,000 b/d in TotalEnergies share.

The production start-up of Mero-2 is a new milestone for TotalEnergies in Brazil, a key growth area for it, the company said in a statement.

“With its vast resources and world-class productivity, the Mero development delivers low cost and low emission oil production, in line with the strategy of our Company,” said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

The Mero filed is a unitized field, operated by Petrobras (38.6%), in partnership with TotalEnergies (19.3%), Shell Brasil (19.3%), CNPC (9.65%), CNOOC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A (PPSA) (3.5%).