Shell has been a leader in deepwater exploration and production for the last 30 years. BC-10 offshore Brazil is one of our most challenging deepwater projects. Shell has a 50% interest in the project and is the operator. BC-10 is in some 1,780 metres of water and peak production will be 100,000 boe/day.
Key facts
| Location: | Campos Basin, Brazil |
| Depth: | ~1,780 metres |
| Interests: | Shell 50% (Shell operated), Petrobras 35%, ONGC 15% |
| Fields: | Ostra, Abalone, Argonauta |
| Peak Production: | 100 kboe/d [API: 17-42] |
| Key contractors: | BDFT (JV between SBM/MISC), Subsea 7, FMC Technologies, V&M do Brasil, Oceaneering, Transocean/Global Santa Fe, Halliburton |
Technology
BC-10 represents a key milestone in the development and commercialisation of Brazil’s offshore heavy oil. The three fields are being developed with subsea wells and manifolds, with each field tied back to a centrally located FPSO moored in ~1,780m of water. The development is planned, based fully on subsea oil and gas separation and subsea pumping. The drilling programme will utilise floating-rig Surface Blow-out Preventer (SBOP) well drilling and completions. The development will include the first application of steel tube hydraulic and multi-circuit high power umbilicals, which will deliver power to 1,500 horse power pumps on the sea floor. It will also be the first application of lazy wave steel riser technology on a turreted FPSO.
Environment and society
Social and environmental responsibility is a central pillar of Shell’s operations. In Brazil, Shell is the sole sponsor of the Humpback Whales Migration project in the South Atlantic Ocean since 2002. Findings have led to a better understanding of the whales’ behaviours, and in 2007, Shell renewed its sponsorship for another 5 years. At a more local level, Shell has focused on education and income generation, sponsoring several projects in the areas of aquaculture, fishing and handicrafts for communities within the area of influence of BC-10. In partnership with Brazilian NGO Gaia, Shell launched a development training programme for community leaders in 2007.
Current developments
BC-10 is to be developed using a leased FPSO with 100,000 boe/day processing capacity that is currently under construction by SBM in Singapore. The first phase of the project includes the development of three fields tied back to the FPSO, which will be moored in ~1,780 metres of water, via subsea wells and manifolds. The design of the FPSO, which is double-hulled, includes significant power and heat delivery systems that are required to drive the system and process the heavy crudes. The development wells will be drilled using Global Santa Fe’s Arctic 1, which arrived in Brazil in February 2008.
Deepwater milestones
Related press releases
6 Nov 2006 - Shell announces the launch of the BC-10 development, in deep water Brazil
26 Apr 2006 - Shell, Petrobras and ONGC announce changes in BC-10 holdings and the entry of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL)
Related links
Shell Brazil (in Brazilian Portuguese)