Earlier this year, in March, WSB Advisors shared insights on Petrobras’s FPSOs SEAP I and II, predicting that securing their own units would be the most probable route, based on statements by Carlos Travassos at the time.
Fast forward through two tender attempts, Petrobras has now returned to the market for the third time with a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. Under this model, the contractor is tasked with designing, constructing, delivering, and operating the units for a specific period before transferring both the asset and its operations to Petrobras.
What’s new this time? SEAP II is now a firm commitment, while SEAP I has been set as an optional requirement. Petrobras believes the BOT model will tackle two critical aspects: accelerating delivery timelines and optimizing financing, while ultimately reducing operational costs once the units are fully transferred.
Traditionally, chartered units are delivered faster but come with higher costs, while owned units, though more affordable in the long run, often face extended delivery timelines. It will be interesting to see how this BOT approach unfolds for these critical FPSO projects.
