Frade

Frade Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location and Geology

• The Frade oil and gas field is located approximately 370 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the Northern Campos Basin, Brazil. However, some sources specify it as being about 118 km off the north coast of Rio de Janeiro.
• The field is situated at a water depth of 1,128 meters, with the FPSO moored at a depth of 1,080 meters.
• The field structure is a low relief anticline spread over 20 km², consisting of two primary fault blocks with three stacked reservoirs. This complex structure poses challenges for drilling activities.

Discovery and Development

• The Frade field was discovered in 1986 by Petrobras, followed by an appraisal well drilled in 1989. Additional wells were drilled by Texaco in 2001.
• The development plan involves phased reservoir exploitation using subsea wells tied back to a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit. The plan includes drilling 12 horizontal production wells and seven vertical water injection wells.

Ownership and Operation

• Initially, the field was operated by Chevron with a 51.74% interest, while Petrobras held 30%, and Frade Japão Petróleo held 18.26%. However, as of 2021, PetroRio has taken full ownership of the Frade field.

Production

• Production at the Frade field began in June 2009 and reached 65,000 barrels per day (bpd) by September 2010. Peak output was achieved in 2011 at 79,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day.
• As of 2020, the average production was around 14,759 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), which increased significantly to 28,509 boe/d in July 2022 after the ODP4 well was brought online.
• The field operates with 11 production wells and four water injection wells. The oil is produced through the Frade FPSO, stored, and transported onshore by crude oil tankers. Gas produced is used for artificial lift and surplus gas is transported onshore via existing pipelines owned by Petrobras.

Infrastructure

• The Frade FPSO, converted from the VLCC Lu San, is moored by an internal turret. It has a storage capacity of 1,550,000 barrels, weighs 273,576 deadweight tons (DWT), and can accommodate 33 risers. The FPSO has an oil production capacity of 100,000 bopd, gas compression capacity of 106 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), and water injection capacity of 150,000 barrels per water per day (bwpd).

Challenges and Incidents

• In November 2011, an appraisal well encountered an unforeseen pressure spike, leading to a temporary suspension of drilling operations. The incident required the deployment of about 18 vessels for sheen remediation and well abandonment activities. The ANP ordered the shutdown of one production well and four produced water injection wells at the Frade FPSO facility.
• In August 2022, production was briefly interrupted due to an issue with an inert gas line, but it was quickly resolved.

Future Plans and Investments

• PetroRio has invested significantly in the field's development, including issuing local debentures worth R$2 billion (approximately US$59.2 million) to fund infrastructure projects and other corporate investments. A subsidiary of PetroRio also acquired the Capricorn semisubmersible drilling unit for $40 million to support ongoing operations.

Operational Timeline

• The field is expected to remain operational until 2025.