STORY-TRÅD·industri

Rio’s Búzios field breaks gas export records

The Búzios field, in the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin, set natural gas export records in August, as per information released by Petrobras on Wednesday (Aug. 26). Average monthly natural gas exports exceeded 10 million cubic meters per day (m³/d). The previous monthly record had been set in March 2026, at 9.1 million m³/d. Notícias relacionadas:Petrobras discovers more natural gas off Colombia’s coast.Petrobras negotiates oil exploration in Ghana.Petrobras reports oil discovery at mouth of Amazon river.Located some 180 km off the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the field lies in ultra-deep waters, at a depth of 2,100 meters. According to the state-run oil giant, this monthly milestone was accompanied by a new daily export record. On August 6, Búzios reached 14.1 million m³/d, surpassing the previous peak of 13.9 million m³/d, recorded in July. According to Petrobras, the increase is not due to the introduction of new production systems, but rather to the optimization of existing units. The company notes that among the key initiatives is the program to modernize the gas treatment plants on platforms P-74, P-75, P-76, and P-77, which involves replacing the carbon dioxide removal membranes. The project, which began in 2025, increased the export capacity of these units from approximately 1.5 million to 3 million m³/d per platform, with the potential to reach even higher levels following additional process adjustments. The Almirante Barroso FPSO unit also contributed to these results. "The expansion of gas export capacity will continue in the coming years, with the systems planned for the P-78 and P-79 platforms scheduled to come online by 2027. By the end of the field’s development, of the 12 planned platforms, eight will have gas export capacity, including the Búzios 12 unit, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2032 and has an estimated capacity of 5.5 million m³/d,” Petrobras stated in a press release.