First oil flows from Brazilian subsea tie-back project

March 19, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Brazilian oil and gas company PRIO, formerly known as PetroRio, has brought online the first well at its subsea tie-back project in the Campos basin off the coast of Brazil.

FPSO Valente (formerly known as FPSO Frade) operating in the Frade field off Brazil; Source PRIO

PRIO has opened the first producing well at the Wahoo field after the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (Ibama) granted the operating license in the aftermath of the approval of the installation of the field production development system and the interconnection of wells to the FPSO Valente, formerly known as Frade.

“Following production stabilization and completion of fiscal metering procedures, the company will release a further notice disclosing the well’s productivity, as well as the expected timeline for the remaining producing wells to come online,” emphasized the Brazilian player.

With the potential to produce over 125 million barrels of oil from the pre-salt layer, some 150 kilometers from the coast in 1,400 meters of water depth, Wahoo will produce hydrocarbons through the FPSO Valente, which has a processing capacity of 100,000 barrels per day and storage of up to 1.5 million barrels.

PRIO previously explained that its plan was to drill four producing and two injector wells. The drilling permit for the six-well campaign was secured last year, when the Hunter Queen rig began mobilizing to the site.

Recently, Ibama handed out an amendment to the drilling license for the Frade field, authorizing PRIO to drill up to 14 new wells.