Petrobras orders more semi-subs

Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras has sealed a $1.4 billion contract for a new 100,000 barrel-per-day P-56 semi submersible oil rig with FELS Setal-Technip consortium after months of exclusive negotiations. FELS Setal is controlled by Singapore’s Keppel Corp while Offshore & Marine Ltd. Technip is a French energy services group. The P-56 rig should start operating by the end of 2010.

In April, Petrobras said it was negotiating with the same group building the 180,000 bpd P-51 platform for the Marlim Sul field, which should help to save time in bringing the new rig on-stream in the same field. Jose Figueiredo, Petrobras executive manager for exploration and production, said that Petrobras would pay $400 million more for the P-56 semi submersible rig than for the similar but bigger P-51 due to a rise in international prices for oil equipment and services. Figueiredo said Petrobras was also mulling to “clone” the P-54 rig project being constructed by Maua/Jurong shipyard for the Roncador field, in which case Maua/Jurong could get the contract in the same way FELS Setal/Technip did.