Brazil: Petrobras’ Oil Production Up 4.7% in November

In November, Petrobras’ average oil production in Brazil was 2,030,924 barrels per day, which corresponds to a 4.7% increase against the daily average in October, and 2% against the same month a year ago. This volume shows sustainable production above 2 million barrels of oil per day, a mark reached by few oil companies in the world.

If the natural gas production is figured in, Petrobras’ total production in Brazil, in barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), reaches 2,378,674. This volume is 4.2% greater than the daily average from last October (2,283,689 barrels). Compared to the total daily average in November 2009 – which includes oil and gas – the increase was 3%.

The growth in the volumes that were lifted was the outcome of the normalization of production levels at ten platforms in the Campos Basin which were in scheduled shutdowns in the previous month. Production going on stream in the Tupi Pilot, in the Santos Basin pre-salt layer, in late October, and yet another production well coming into production at the P-40 platform, in the Marlim Sul field, in the Campos Basin, contributed to this increase.

Considering the fields in Brazil and abroad, the Company’s total oil and natural gas production averaged 2,620,347 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day in October. This volume is a 2.5% increase over the same month of 2009 and 3.4% more than Petrobras global production a month earlier (October), when 2,534,274 barrels were produced per day.

The daily natural gas production in the domestic fields rose 9% over a year ago and 1% over October, reaching 55.28 million cubic meters.

The volume of oil and natural gas coming from the countries where the Company has operations abroad reached 241,673 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 2.3% less than November 2009, mainly due to the natural decline in mature fields and to adjustments made to the processing plant at the Austral Basin, both in Argentina. Compared to the previous month, there was a 3.6% decrease, particularly on account of inspection and maintenance activities in the Akpo field, in Nigeria.

Natural gas production abroad was 15,978 million cubic meters per day, 0.8% less than in the previous month, due to operating issues in Argentina.

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Source:  Petrobras, December 29, 2010;  Image: Petrobras Image bank