Petrobras’ 2017 natural gas production edges up

State-controlled Petrobras on Tuesday said its natural gas production in 2017 has reached a volume of 79.6 million cubic meters per day.

As such, total production in the country reached 2.65 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, a volume 0.9 percent higher than in 2016, marking a new record for Petrobras.

The average annual production operated in the pre-salt layer in 2017 was also the largest in the company’s history, reaching the mark of 1.29 million bpd. This volume exceeded the 2016 production by 26 percent. In addition, Petrobras and its partners have achieved monthly (1.36 million bpd, in the month of December) and daily (1.48 million bpd, last 12/4/2017) records in this layer.

Production growth in the Lula field – resulting from the interconnection of new wells to FPSOs Cidade de Saquarema, Cidade de Maricá and Cidade de Itaguaí, in addition to the start of operations at P-66 platform and in the Lapa field with the interconnection of new wells to FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba both located in Santos Basin’s pre-salt layer, have contributed to this result.

Another important factor was the start of production at FPSO Pioneiro de Libra, which operates in the Mero field, also in Santos Basin’s pre-salt layer.

Petrobras’ gas utilization index in Brazil also achieved a record in 2017, reaching a level of 96.5 percent the company said.

The average natural gas production abroad was 8.3 million cubic meters per day, 39 percent below the 2016 production. The reduction resulted mainly from the divestments made, such as the sale of Petrobras Argentina.

Considering Brazil and abroad, the average annual production of oil and gas was 2.77 million boed.

December figures

In December 2017, total oil and natural gas production was 2.72 million boed, 2.62 million boed of which produced in Brazil and 100,000 boed produced abroad.

The average natural gas production, excluding the liquefied volume, was 77.9 million cubic meters per day.

Meanwhile, the oil and natural gas production operated in the pre-salt layer was 1.68 million boed, 2 percent above November volumes.

The average production of natural gas abroad was 6.7 cubic meters per day.