Brazilian independent Brava Energia is undertaking a campaign to boost production from the Papa Terra field in the Campos basin, which it acquired from Petrobras in late 2022. The field has historically underperformed due to significant operational and geological challenges.

Historical Challenges and Current Production

Since starting operations over a decade ago, Papa Terra has been plagued by problems, including insufficient reservoir knowledge and a lack of topsides maintenance. Production peaked at about 34,000 barrels per day in June 2014 but has since fallen to between 19,000 and 20,000 bpd. This is far below the installed capacity of 140,000 bpd from its tension-leg wellhead platform (TLWP) and floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO). Contributing factors were equipment delivered incomplete and deferred maintenance during Petrobras's divestment period.

Asset Recovery and Maintenance Plan

Brava is focused on recovering the assets. The company has chartered the flotel Floatel Victory for a six-month maintenance campaign starting in the fourth quarter of 2026. This will involve about 300 people working on inspection, painting, and improving operational efficiency on the TLWP and FPSO topsides, aiming to build upon the current operational efficiency record of 90%.

Reservoir Complexity and Drilling Campaign

A core issue is the heterogeneous and compartmentalised nature of the reservoir, which holds an estimated 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent in-place. This complexity has hindered water injection efficiency and the economic viability of wells in certain areas. After three years of study, Brava plans to apply its learnings by drilling two new wells, 52 and 53, using the Lone Star semi-submersible rig, with operations set to begin in March. The company believes these wells will have good productivity.

Future Potential and Production Goals

The current recovery factor is only about 3%, significantly below the industry standard of 30-40%, indicating substantial remaining potential. Brava is in a pre-final investment decision phase to potentially explore the central area of the field using the TLWP's hydraulic rig. The immediate goal with the new wells is to surpass the 20,000 bpd mark, compensating for natural decline and increasing overall production.