Shell and partners begin production test at Libra

USA - English

• Brazil - Português

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) and consortium partners in the Libra area announce today that operations have started at the Pioneiro de Libra FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading Unit), located in the Brazilian pre-salt of the Santos Basin.  The vessel is the first FPSO dedicated to Extended Well Tests (EWTs) that also features a gas reinjection capability.

Located approximately 180 kilometers off the Rio de Janeiro coast, Pioneiro de Libra FPSO can process up to 50,000-barrels of oil and 4-million cubic meters of associated gas per day.  The well test is planned to evaluate, for one year, the dynamic, subsurface behavior of the oil reservoir and enhance the consortium's knowledge on resource.

"It's a positive step to begin this early production test at Libra, as the dynamic data will be valuable to optimize the consortium's future development plans and maximize the value we can create from this prolific field," said Andy Brown, Upstream Director for Shell. "We continue to focus our deep-water expertise to both support Petrobras in our Joint Venture operations as well as building our own operated portfolio and delivery in Brazil."

Shell has a 20-percent stake in the consortium developing the Libra area. Petrobras operates the field with a 40-percent interest. Total has a 20-percent stake, and CNPC and CNOOC Limited have each a 10-percent interest.  Last month in Brazil, Shell and partners won three, 35-year production sharing contracts for pre-salt blocks also located in the Santos Basin including two Shell operated blocks. 

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SOURCE Royal Dutch Shell plc