Búzios Field: A Game Changer for Brazil’s Oil Production?
Petrobras has announced that the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré started production on February 15. Operating in the Búzios field, within the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, the vessel has a production capacity of up to 225,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (bpd) and can process 12 million cubic meters of gas daily.
Built and chartered by SBM, the FPSO departed China on July 31, arrived in Brazil in October (2024), and now joins five other units in Búzios: FPSOs P-74, P-75, P-76, P-77, and Almirante Barroso. Petrobras expects that Almirante Tamandaré will help push Búzios production to 1 million bpd this year and 1.5 million bpd by 2030.
According to the ANP (National Oil Agency), the Búzios field produced an average of 932,000 bpd in 2024, ranking seventh in the country. Tupi and Marlim currently lead with just over 2.6 million bpd each.
New Oil Discovery at Búzios
Petrobras also recently announced a new oil find beneath the field’s main reservoir. Tests at 5,600 meters deep confirmed the presence in well 9-BUZ-99D-RJS, drilled 189 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in 1,940 meters of water depth.
With record output and new discoveries, is Búzios shaping up to be the key driver of Brazil’s offshore expansion?
