Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda., a subsidiary of Shell plc, has announced the start of production of the FPSO Sepetiba in the Mero field, located offshore in the Santos Basin of Brazil.

This state-of-the-art floating production, storage, and offloading vessel, also known as Mero-2, has an impressive operational capacity of 12 million cubic meters of natural gas and 180,000 barrels of oil per day. It is connected to six production and six injector wells in the field, making it a significant addition to the first wave of production.

The construction and operation of the FPSO Sepetiba have been made possible by the application of cutting-edge technology, which increases production efficiency and also contributes to reducing emissions.

Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, expressed her excitement about the FPSO Sepetiba development, stating that it leverages their world-class partnership with Petrobras and reinforces their presence in one of the most productive fields in Brazil.

“This project aligns with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy and our commitment to leverage increasingly efficient and competitive developments in our heartlands to provide safe, secure energy supplies today and for decades to come,” she added.

The FPSO Sepetiba is located 180 kilometers from the coast of Rio de Janeiro, at a water depth of 2,050 meters. Its predecessor, the FPSO Guanabara, also known as Mero-1, announced its first production in April 2022.

The consortium plans to receive two more FPSOs by the middle of the decade. Shell’s world-leading deep-water business comprises two prolific basins in the US and Brazil and an exciting exploration portfolio with a sustained track record of strong cash generation and operational performance.