By Brazil Stock Guide – Petrobras’ (B3: PETR4; NYSE: PBR) Alexandre de Gusmão floating production, storage and offloading vessel reached its designed capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil a day at the Mero field, the Brazilian state-controlled producer said.
The FPSO is the fifth production unit installed at Mero in the pre-salt Santos Basin. The field is Brazil’s third-largest oil producer, behind Búzios and Tupi.
“Each unit that reaches the maximum production level established in its design contributes to the company’s results and confirms that we have overcome major technical challenges and adopted the right strategies,” said Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras’ director of engineering, technology and innovation.
More wells to be connected
Petrobras leased the Alexandre de Gusmão from SBM Offshore (AMS: SBMO). The initial development plan calls for 12 connected wells, including six oil producers and six wells that will alternately inject water or gas.
Five producing wells and three injection wells are currently connected to the vessel.
Mero already hosts four other FPSOs: Pioneiro de Libra, Guanabara, Sepetiba and Marechal Duque de Caxias.
The field produced an average of about 740,000 barrels a day in the second quarter of 2026, before the Alexandre de Gusmão reached its full capacity.
“Mero averaged approximately 740,000 barrels a day in the second quarter of 2026, even before the Alexandre de Gusmão reached peak output,” said Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras’ director of exploration and production. “The unit’s ramp-up shows that we remain on a steady path toward greater operating efficiency across our assets.”
Subsea monitoring and separation
Mero is receiving what Petrobras describes as the world’s largest permanent reservoir monitoring project. The subsea infrastructure, known as PRM, uses an extensive network of sensors and optical instruments to improve production management and maximize oil recovery from the reservoirs.
The field is also set to receive HISEP®, a Petrobras-patented technology currently undergoing qualification. The system is designed to separate crude oil from associated gas containing high levels of CO₂ on the seabed, allowing the gas to be reinjected directly into the reservoir.
Petrobras operates the unitized Mero field through a consortium with Shell (LSE: SHEL; NYSE: SHEL), TotalEnergies (EPA: TTE; NYSE: TTE), CNPC and CNOOC Ltd. (HKEX: 0883; SSE: 600938). Pré-Sal Petróleo SA manages the production-sharing agreement and represents the Brazilian government.
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