The Atlanta deepwater oil field in Santos Basin, Brazil has been in early production phase since May 2018. Image courtesy of kees torn.
Enauta started bidding for a new FPSO for the full development of the Atlanta field in March 2021. Image courtesy of Christopher Griner.
The early production system (EPS) for the field comprises three production wells tied-back to the Petrojarl I FPSO vessel. Image courtesy of kees torn.

Atlanta is a deepwater oil field located in block BS-4 of the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. It has been in the early production stage since May 2018.

Enauta Energia, a subsidiary of Enauta, is the operator of block BS-4 and holds a 50% interest, while the remaining 50% interest is held by Barra Energia.

Enauta Participações, formerly QGEP Participações, is planning for the full development of the field based on the information obtained and technical studies conducted during the early production phase.

Enauta agreed to acquire a 50% working interest in Block BS-4 from Barra Energia in December 2020. The transaction is subject to approval by the Brazilian regulatory bodies and other conditions. The transaction received approval from Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) in April 2021.

Location and reservoir details

The Atlanta field is located in block BS-4 in the Santos Basin, approximately 185km southeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Atlanta is a post-salt oil field spread over approximately 199.6km2 and the water depth in the field area is approximately 1,550m. Discovered in 2001, the field contains heavy oil with low sulphur content.

The 2P reserves of the field were estimated to be approximately 103 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mboe) as of December 2020.

Early production from the Atlanta field

The Atlanta field produced more than 16 million barrels of oil since the start of production in May 2018.

The field’s gross output during 2020 stood at 6.281 million barrels of oil compared to 6.921 million barrels in 2019.

Initial field development details

The initial field development involves an early production system (EPS) comprising three horizontal production wells tied back to the Petrojarl I floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The first two wells, drilled in 2014, started operations in 2018, while the third well commenced production in June 2019.

The well intervention operations were performed on the first and second wells during June and September 2019.

Operated by Teekay Offshore Production, the Petrojarl FPSO has a production capacity of approximately 30,000 barrels of oil a day (bopd), a compression capacity of about 225,500 cubic meters of gas a day, and a storage capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil.

Recent developments

The production from the Atlanta field was affected due to issues in the oil heating system and the water separation and treatment system of the FPSO in the second half of 2020. The field production came to a halt in mid-November 2020.

The field production resumed with the start of operations of a well in the EPS in February 2021. The second well started production in May 2021 and the third well is anticipated to resume production in July 2021.

Enauta initiated the bidding process for a new FPSO for the planned full development system (FDS) of the Atlanta field in March 2021 which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. The production capacity of the new FPSO will be 50,000bopd.

The FDS will comprise six to eight production wells, including three existing EPS wells, tied back to the new FPSO. The bidding process of subsea systems and wells is anticipated to begin in the second quarter of 2021.

The Atlanta field development partners entered into a Crude Oil Sales Agreement (COSA) with Shell Western Supply and Trading in 2015. Shell buys the oil produced by the Atlanta field in the early production phase.

Contracts awarded

Altera Infrastructure, earlier known as Teekay Offshore Partners, was awarded a five-year contract to charter Petrojarl I FPSO vessel for the Atlanta field development in December 2014. The FPSO arrived at the Atlanta field in January 2018.

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