Petrobras lays out factors that contributed to FPSO explosion

Petrobras has completed the analysis of factors that contributed to accident that claimed nine lives on board FPSO Cidade de São Mateus located offshore Brazil. 

The explosion occurred on February 11, 2015 on a BW Offshore-owned and Petrobras-operated Cidade de São Mateus FPSO located in the post-salt of the Camarupim and Camarupim Norte fields, some 120 km off the Espírito Santo state coast.

The company says that the report is aimed at documenting the analysis of the occurrence, in order to further improve the industry’s safety standards and prevent similar accidents in future.

According to Petrobras, the main causal factors identified were breaches of fluid pumping operating procedures, the installation of a piece of equipment (racket) in a pipe without the proper technical specifications and alteration registration, and safety procedure violations.

Petrobras has submitted the report to the public authorities, including the National Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), the Federal Police and the Civil Police.

The report’s conclusions are also being shared with Petrobras’ exploration and production workforce, the BW Offshore group – responsible for operating FPSO Cidade de São Mateus – and the oil industry as a whole.

In the press statement, Petrobras also says that claims that it was warned about certain faults before the accident are incorrect.