With 70 pct of Brazilian FPSO market already covered, Wilson Sons preparing for rise in demand

Brazil’s port and maritime logistics operator Wilson Sons is anticipating an increase in the FPSO demand and has already cornered the Brazilian market by serving 70 per cent of the chartered FPSOs in the country.

The company says that the estimates of the oil and gas sector indicate growth, with new FPSO units coming into operation in the next five years.

Marcio Panisset, Wilson Sons Agency regional manager, remarked: “The FPSO market has great growth prospects in the country. Industry estimates show that up to 26 units are expected to start operating in the next five years. This is without considering the oil exploration areas acquired in the 2017 to 2019 rounds. Wilson Sons has a strong presence in this market and we are preparing for the increase in demand.”

Wilson Sons further says that it currently leads the shipping agency sector for attendance of FPSOs chartered in Brazilian waters, covering 70 per cent of the national market. Therefore, of the 26 platforms in operation in Brazil, 19 are served by the firm.

The Brazilian company serves production units in the Campos, Santos, and Espírito Santo basins. In addition to the contracts for continuous service, the company participated in the mobilisation and demobilisation of FPSOs for the Brazilian pre-salt this year. Marcio Bragança, Wilson Sons’ operations supervisor in Rio de Janeiro, claims that these are “complex and very challenging operations,” which have been made even more difficult by the pandemic.

Norwegian-based BW Offshore is among Wilson Sons’ clients in the FPSO segment and the company operates one production unit in Brazil. Wilson Sons acted as manager and coordinator for all the necessary procedures in order to obtain the relative authorizations from the port authorities, also controlling all certificates and relative inspections as well as assisting in the purchase of material and equipment in general.

In addition, as a Wilson Sons customer for approximately ten years, BW Offshore also uses the maritime support services of the firm’s tugboats.

Leonardo Tannure, BW Offshore’s supply manager, commented: “Wilson Sons’ experience and strength in the port and maritime market gives us the necessary security for the size of our operations. In addition to trust in quality, the synergy between services speeds up communication, eases decision making and brings commercial benefits.”

Another FPSO has just arrived in Brazilian waters to operate for Petrobras on the Mero field in the Santos pre-salt basin. The FPSO Guanabara is the first of four definitive platforms scheduled for the Mero field.