Brazilian oil giant Petrobras and its partners are undertaking a major, approximately $450 million deepwater seismic monitoring project in the Mero pre-salt field, located in the Santos basin. This initiative is described as unprecedented and the world's most extensive programme of its kind.

Project Overview and Partnership

The project involves installing a permanent reservoir monitoring system on the seabed, consisting of a wide network of sensors and optical instruments. This infrastructure is designed to track geological structures and the movement of fluids, including oil, water, and natural gas. The primary goal is to gather data for a better understanding of the reservoir's behaviour and dynamics over time, ultimately aiming to maximise oil production.

Implementation Phases

The project is being rolled out in phases. The first phase, completed in March, covered an area of 222 square kilometres with over 460 kilometres of cables containing optical sensors. This system will monitor output from the Guanabara and Sepetiba floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, with the first data collection scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.

The second phase is currently in progress, involving the construction of an additional 316 kilometres of seismographic cables. This expansion will cover another 140 square kilometres where the Marechal Duque de Caxias and Alexandre de Gusmao FPSOs are installed, with completion targeted for next year.

Data Management and Future Plans

Initially, data collected from the seabed will be received by computers on board the FPSOs. Future plans include transmitting this information directly via fibre optics to the company's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, Petrobras intends to deploy a fifth FPSO, the Mero Extension, to achieve commercial-scale production. A tender for this unit is due this year, with the FPSO expected to have a processing capacity of 200,000 barrels per day of oil and 12 million cubic metres per day of natural gas.

Current Production and Field Significance

According to the latest data from Brazil's market regulator, ANP, current production from the Mero field stands at approximately 732,100 barrels of oil per day and 48.4 million cubic metres of natural gas per day. Mero is Brazil's third-largest field, following Buzios and Tupi.