The FPSO P79, a floating production storage and offloading vessel previously involved in a fatal accident at Hanwha Ocean, has been successfully delivered to the shipowner.
According to news on the 18th, the FPSO P79 built by Hanwha Ocean for Petrobras has set sail on schedule as per the contract agreement before the end of this year and is expected to reach its destination in February 2026.
The FPSO P79 will be deployed in the Búzios field, the world’s largest deepwater oil field. It is designed to produce 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 7.2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, with a maximum storage capacity of 2 million barrels. This oil field currently has 6 FPSOs deployed for oil and gas production operations.
Renata Baruchi, Chief Technology Officer of Petrobras, stated: “Similar to the P-78 platform, the model of having the crew arrive with the platform has proven to be an effective strategy for shortening the construction cycle. The arriving P-79 is the 8th of the 12 production units planned for the Búzios field. With on-time delivery and the crew-onboard strategy, the initial crude oil production time is expected to be brought forward by 2 months.”
It is noteworthy that the FPSO P79 delivered by Hanwha Ocean was involved in a fatal stern crane winch fracture accident in September this year. Rodrigo Reis Barreto (39), a Petrobras employee supervising the test on site, unfortunately fell into the sea and died. Kim Hee-cheol, Representative Director and CEO of Hanwha Ocean, also issued an apology statement, promising support for the victim’s family and pledging to establish measures to prevent similar accidents.
This accident drew significant attention from the shipowner and Brazilian union federations. The shipowner has established a special investigation committee to investigate the fatal accident involving its employee. The FUP (Federação Única dos Petroleiros) explicitly demanded: “The accident investigation must be fully transparent, and union representatives must effectively participate to identify the causes, correct deficiencies, and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.”
It is understood that the FPSO P79 project was jointly won by Hanwha Ocean and the Italian offshore giant Saipem in 2021, with a total value of approximately $2.3 billion. Despite the accident, Hanwha Ocean stated that the construction of this FPSO proceeded smoothly, completing the integration of the hull topside and the construction of 4 modules.
Currently, Petrobras is continuously increasing its investment in FPSO projects to align with the Santos Basin pre-salt field development plan, intending to order several FPSOs in the next 5 to 6 years.
