The Brazilian state-owned oil and gas firm has allocated $9.8bn for its decommissioning efforts, as outlined in its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan
Porto do Açu to dock Petrobras’ platforms for sustainable decommissioning. (Credit: Porto do Açu)
Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) signed an agreement with Porto do Açu, a deep-water, privately-owned industrial port complex in Brazil, to facilitate the sustainable decommissioning of its oil and gas platforms.
In this connection, Porto do Açu will be responsible for docking and temporary berthing of the platforms belonging to the Brazilian oil and gas major as they undergo decommissioning.
The platforms will be temporarily docked until the final destination of each unit is determined, in alignment with best international practices for green recycling and sustainability (ASG).
Petrobras said that the contract with Porto do Açu, situated in São João da Barra in Rio de Janeiro state, spans a three-year duration. It encompasses support services to the platforms such as electricity supply and others.
The agreement is part of Petrobras’s plan to decommission a total of 26 platforms by the end of this decade.
According to the Brazilian energy firm, the decommissioning entails a series of actions aimed at permanently concluding the operational capabilities of the platform. It represents a standard phase within the oil and gas industry’s production cycle, said the company.
Petrobras has allocated $9.8bn for its decommissioning efforts, as outlined in its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.
The company anticipates decommissioning 26 platforms within the upcoming five years. The decommissioning procedures will involve the permanent sealing of wells and the cleaning and disposal of underwater systems and platforms.
In July 2023, Petrobras conducted the auction for the P-32 platform, marking the first platform to be divested under the company’s sustainable disposal approach.
The winning bidder was GERDAU, in collaboration with the ECOVIX shipyard. The P-32 platform, located in the Campos Basin, will be transported directly to the ECOVIX yard for recycling.
Earlier this month, Petrobras revealed plans to install 11 new production platforms in the Brazilian pre-salt layer by 2027. The company will also spend $64bn in exploration and production activities as part of its Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2027.