Total production operated by Petrobras was 3.65 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (Mmboed) in the third quarter, which represents an increase of 2.6% compared to the second quarter. The average production was 2.64 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, similar to the previous quarter. The total load factor (FUT) of the refining park was 88% in the third quarter, the same level as the results of the previous period. The data are contained in the Petrobras Production and Sales Report released this evening (24).
According to the company, the maintenance of the average production number in a production similar to the second quarter is positive, as the results for the third quarter of 2022 include the impacts of reduced production, arising from the stop for decommissioning and demobilization of the Floating Unit of Storage and Transfer (FPSO) Capixaba and the effectiveness of production sharing contracts for the surplus volumes of the transfer of rights at Atapu and Sépia.
The impact of these events, already foreseen, was positively offset by the good performance of the P-68 and the increase in production at FPSO Guanabara. P-68, which operates in the Berbigão and Sururu fields (Santos Basin), reached full production capacity on June 21, which allowed the unit to reach its highest production average this quarter, of 148 thousand barrels of oil per day (bpd). On October 8, the platform reached a daily production record of 161 thousand barrels, above nominal capacity due to the optimizations achieved in the production plant.
As well as the P-68, the P-70 units in the Atapu Field and the P-74, P-75, P-76 and P-77 units in the Búzios Field have been able, depending on the operational conditions , produce above its rated capacity and have been important for the production performance of 2022. At FPSO Guanabara (Campo de Mero), Petrobras carried out the interconnection and start-up of two new oil and natural gas production wells , and two new gas injection wells in 3Q22. As a result, the platform reached an average production of 65 thousand bpd in the quarter.
Pre-salt
Total production in the pre-salt was 1.94 million barrels of oil equivalent, in line with 2Q22, representing 73% of Petrobras’ total production. The company followed the market development work for pre-salt oil, focusing on Atapu and Sépia, which were the last oils added to Petrobras’ export basket.
In this quarter, four new customers were added, distributed across Asia, Europe and South America.
refining
In refining, the total load factor (88%) and the yield of diesel, gasoline and QAV (66%) remained at high levels, similar to the result obtained in the second quarter of 2022. This quarter’s results occurred even with the scheduled stoppages of 43 days of distillation and coke at the Paulínia Refinery (Replan), in Paulínia (SP), and 33 days at the hydrotreatment units at the Gabriel Passos Refinery (Regap), in Betim (MG).
