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Sonda Hunter Queen vessel makes its debut operation in Brazil
The rig acquired by PRIO completes its intervention at Frade, a field that underwent a major revitalization campaign in 2023, and will soon operate at Wahoo
The sixth-generation semisubmersible drilling rig, Hunter Queen – which has been part of PRIO’s assets since July 2022, completed its first operation this month at the Frade field. The equipment has the capacity to drill in water depths of up to 3,000 meters and wells of up to 10,000 m, and can perform maintenance operations and improvements that are necessary at all of the company’s offshore fields. “The drilling rig’s first operation was a success. We completed an intervention in the MUP3B well at Frade Field, a major step toward enabling another producing well in the field,” explains Leandro Brandão, Project Assets Manager at PRIO.
The acquisition of the equipment was part of the Company’s efficiency strategy, in addition to increasing the level of employee safety and the preservation of the environment, as it has more modern and effective technologies. The asset, aside from featuring state-of-the-art technology, follows the quality standards of all PRIO operations in terms of ambiance, standards of the galley, resource reuse systems, comfort of accommodations, living areas, and new fitness center for employees and third-party contractors.
“The drilling rig will be used in all our fields from now on, whether for drilling or maintenance of wells and production. It will have a strategic role at the start of operations in the Wahoo Field, where we expect to drill four production wells and two injector wells to get under way in the first half of 2024,” says Francisco Francilmar Fernandes, Chief Operations Officer at PRIO. “The purchase of the vessel was an important decision that will support us with stability, autonomy, and flexibility in our operation, also protecting us from market fluctuations,” adds the executive.
Learn more about Frade field, where the drilling rig is currently located
The Frade field has just undergone the second phase of the revitalization campaign, which also concluded in November, and has recorded a production increase of over 250% since its acquisition. As a result of the initiative, it was possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 70% and increase the recovery factor of this asset by up to 30%. Among the initiatives that made this increase possible are the high performance and safety of the construction operations of new wells, the optimization of the installation of subsea system equipment, revamping of the water injection system, and improvements in reservoir management. At the moment, it is undergoing several additional studies that could define a new wave of revitalization.
The average production of this field in the last quarter was 56.6 kbpd, and it accounts for 55% of PRIO’s production. In 2024, this field will be interconnected – via 35-km tie-back – to the new Wahoo asset, which has an estimated potential of 40 kbbl/d.