Equinor has, on behalf of the BM-C-33 license with partners Repsol Sinopec Brasil and Petrobras, awarded a contract for subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) to TechnipFMC, and a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for the delivery of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit to MODEC Inc.

“We are pleased to award these contracts to companies known for their expertise and quality, which will be important for these milestone deliveries to the BM-C-33 development,” says Geir Tungesvik, executive vice president for Projects, Drilling & Procurement.

“MODEC was also awarded the FPSO contract for our Bacalhau project, and we look forward to draw from experiences between the two projects, to ensure safe and efficient execution of the developments. We also have a long history of collaboration with TechnipFMC and we are pleased to continue our good collaboration on another major project development,” Tungesvik says.

“BM-C-33 is a world class asset in the Brazilian pre-salt Campos area. Brazil is a core growth area for Equinor, and the company has ambitions to deepen our presence in the country. BM-C-33 will be an important contributor to reach this goal, being a key gas supplier to the domestic market, contributing to industrial development and energy security locally. At the same time, we are committed to use technology to lower our emissions substantially. BM-C-33 has a carbon intensity target of less than 6 kg/boe over the field lifetime, while the global industry average is 16 kg CO2 per barrel,” says Veronica Coelho, Equinor’s senior vice president and country manager for Brazil.

BM-C-33 will use combined cycle technology on the FPSO to reduce the CO2 intensity.

The FPSO award is mainly one lump sum turnkey contract including engineering, procurement, construction and installation for the entire unit. FPSO expected delivery date is 2027. MODEC will also provide Equinor with operations and maintenance service of the FPSO for the first year from its start-up, after which Equinor plans to operate the unit.

Equinor has exercised an option with TechnipFMC following their front-end engineering design awarded in July 2022, to deliver integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation for SURF. The SURF system will be installed in water depth of approximately 2900 metres, which is the deepest installation in Equinor’s history.

The contract, described by the supplier as a major award, includes delivery of Subsea 2.0™ tree systems, manifolds, jumpers, rigid risers and flowlines, umbilicals, pipeline end terminations, and subsea distribution and topside control equipment. TechnipFMC has a strong local presence and has also been awarded frame agreements for add-on equipment and subsea operational services.

Equinor and partners have decided to develop the BM-C-33 project in the Brazilian Pre-salt area, with an investment of approximately USD 9 billion.

Facts about BM-C-33

   - Partners: Equinor 35 % (operator), Repsol Sinopec Brasil 35 %, Petrobras 30%
   - Discoveries were made by Repsol Sinopec in 2010
   - Equinor became the operator in 2016
   - The block is located in the Campos Basin pre-salt in Brazil
   - The license is located approximately 200 km from shore, in water depths up to 2900 m
   - It contains recoverable natural gas and oil/condensate of above 1.0 bn boe
   - Gas export capacity is 16 MSm3/sd. It can represent 15% of the Brazilian gas demand
   - FPSO capacity is approximately 126,000 bpd
   - First oil is expected in 2028

About Equinor

Equinor (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR), is an international energy company with a proud history. Formerly Statoil, we are 20,000 committed colleagues developing oil, gas, wind and solar energy in more than 30 countries worldwide. We’re the largest operator in Norway, among the world’s largest offshore operators, and a growing force in renewables. Driven by our Nordic urge to explore beyond the horizon, and our dedication to safety, equality and sustainability, we’re building a global business on our values and the energy needs of the future.