The Roncador field - Development of oil and natural gas production
The Roncador Field, located in the northern Campos Basin area, some 125 km from Cabo de São Tomé, was discovered in October 1996, when well 1-RJS-436A was drilled.
The Roncador Field covers an area of 111 km² and it is located at a depth that varies from 1,500 to 1,900 meters.
Due to its area's extension, and because of the great volume of hydrocarbons in it, Roncador's production development was planned to take place in a total of 4 modules. The oil found in each of these modules has different densities, distributed as follows:
 Module 1A - 28 to 31 API
Module 2 - 18 API
Module 3 - 22 API
Module 4 - 18 API
Module 1A, Module 2, Module 3, Module 4
The field's production was started on January 23 1999, when the dynamic positioning production vessel (DP FPSO) SEILLEAN was interconnected to the well 1-RJS-436A through a pioneering offshore completion system which, at the time, set a world depth record: 1,853 m. In March 2001, this pilot production system was transferred to well 9-RO-20-RJS, located in Roncador Module 3, where it remained until May 2002, producing some 15,000 bpd.
In May 2000, Roncador's Module 1 Production System went into operation. Composed of the semisubmersible production unit (SS) P-36 and of storage vessel (FSO) P-47, this system was designed to have a total of 28 wells, 21 of which producers and 7 water injectors.
The technological innovations Petrobras applied to implant the Roncador Pilot System and the Module 1 Production System gave the company the 2001 OTC Distinguished Achievement Award.
After the accident with platform P-36, on March 15 2001, which caused it to sink 4 days later, the Roncador development conception was reviewed. Module 1 was re-baptized as Module 1A, and the development was divided into two phases. Phase 1, conceived as a short-term solution for production to be retaken at the field, was initially composed of 8 producer wells, in addition to Module 2 producer well RO-42, and 3 injectors interconnected to an FPSO-type production unit.
This FPSO, named FPSO-BRASIL, was chartered from SBM (Single Buoy Moorings Inc.) and converted, in record time, to retake production at the wells that were interconnected to the P-36. The procedure was completed on December 8 2002, less than 20 months after the accident with the platform. Its characteristics are as follows:
Oil processing capacity
Compression capacity
Water injection capacity
Storage
Depth of water
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 100,000 bpd
5.0 million m³/d
15,000 m³/d
1.7 million barrels
1,290 m
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The Roncador Module 1A Phase 1 project is currently composed of 7 producer wells, 6 for Module 1A and 1 for Module 2, all of which with their oil production lines connected directly to FPSO-BRASIL, while 4 with their gas-lift lines connected to a submarine gas-lift manifold (MSGL-RO-01). This device has the advantage of reducing the load on the FPSO by allowing a single gas injection line to be branched out to serve more than one well, in addition to allowing, from the sub-surface, each well’s valves to be controlled electro-electronically and individually from control systems installed directly in the manifold. Water injection takes place via two satellite wells, which are also interconnected to FPSO-BRASIL.
The oil that is lifted is stored in the FPSO and, periodically, transferred to a relief vessel. A gas pipeline offloads the gas to the continent via the Namorado 1 (PNA-1) or Garoupa (PGP-1) platforms. FPSO BRASIL will remain in Roncador until 2012, when its wells will be re-managed to Module 1A’s Phase 2 production unit, except for two of them, which are scheduled to be re-managed in late 2008: RO-17 to P-52 (Module 1A – Phase 2) and RO-50 to P-54 (Module 2).
Phase 2 of Module 1A’s completion stage went online on November 23 2007 and involves the usage of a semi-submersible (SS) type unit called P-52, which has the following characteristics:
Phase 2, Module 1A's conclusion stage, involves the use of a P-52 semisubmersible unit. This unit will be anchored at a depth of 1,800 meters. It will be able to process and treat 180,000 bpd of oil, to compress 9.3 million m3/d of gas, as well as to inject approximately 48,000 m3/d of water. Thirty wells will be interconnected to the rig, 20 of which producers and 10 water injectors.
Oil processing capacity
Compression capacity
Water injection capacity
Depth of water
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180,000 bpd
9.3 million m³/d
48,000 m³/d
1,800 m
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In total, 27 wells will be interconnected to the platform, of which are 17 producers and 10 water injectors.
Oil exports from the P-52 will take place via submarine ducts to be interconnected to a fixed platform located in shallow waters, called Autonomous Re-pumping Platform (PRA-1). The gas is exported to the continent via the Namorado 1 (PNA-1) or Garoupa (PGP-1) platforms. The P-52 will remain in operation through the end of Roncador field’s productive life.
Module 2 consists of the usage of an FPSO-type vessel, called P-54, which went online on December 12 2007 and has the following characteristics:
Oil processing capacity
Compression capacity
Water injection capacity
Storage
Depth of water
|
180,000 bpd
6.0 million m³/d
39,000 m³/d
1.5 million barrels
1.400 m
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Nineteen wells will be interconnected to the platform, of which 13 are producers and 6 water injectors.
Oil offloading will be done in tandem, via a relief vessel, while the gas will flow via the Namorado Namorado 1 (PNA-1) or Garoupa (PGP-1) platforms.
Module 3 will consist of a semi-submersible-type (SS) vessel, called P-55, which will go online in 2013 and have these characteristics:
Oil processing capacity
Compression capacity
Water injection capacity
Depth of water
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180,000 bpd
6.0 million m³/d
46,000 m³/d
1,790 m
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A total of 18 wells will be interconnected to this platform, of which 11 will be producers and 7 injectors.
Oil offloading will be carried out through 2 oil pipelines, one leading to the Autonomous Re-pumping Platform (PRA-1), while the second one to the P-54. The gas, meanwhile, will be exported to a gas pipeline that will flow to PGP-1/PNA-1.
Roncador Module 4 is currently in the Conceptual EVTE preparation phase. The project will consist of an FPSO-type vessel, called P-62, which will kick production off in 2013. It will be anchored at a water depth of 1,600 m and will be capable of processing 180,000 bpd of oil. A total of 17 wells will be interconnected, of which 12 will be producers and 5 injectors.
In sum:
4 modules: 2 in production, 1 in development, and 1 in study
Producer Wells: 53 (modules 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Injector Wells: 29 (modules 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Production peak: 543,000 bpd in 2014
Average Projected Production (oil): 255,000 bpd in 2008.
Roncador Field
Module 1A, Module 2, Module 3, Module 4
RO-11 Area
Annual Update
Last uptade: January 2009
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