Petrobras’ average oil and gas production in March, in Brazil, reached 2,114,089 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe), 1.4% more than a year ago. Compared to February 2008, when 2,129,420 boe/day were produced, there was a slight 0.7% decrease caused by scheduled maintenance shutdowns at two platforms in the Campos Basin.

Another five platforms are slated to go online in 2008 and will add 500,000 barrels to Petrobras’ daily production capacity: four in the Campos Basin and one in the Espírito Santo sea. Furthermore, the five platforms that started producing in 2007 are also expected to reach full capacity in this year.

Exclusively considering domestic field oil production (1,800,431 barrels/day), there was a slight 1.2% decrease compared to February. This 21,000 bpd difference derived, basically, from scheduled shutdowns at platform PPM-1 and P-20, at the Pampo and Marlim fields, which, together, impacted production by 34,400 barrels/day. Losses were partially compensated for, however, by three producer wells that started producing, interconnected to platform P-52, in the Roncador field.

Considering fields in Brazil and abroad, the company’s total oil and natural gas production in March averaged 2,339,006 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 1% more than Petrobras’ total production in March 2007 and stable compared to the volume lifted in February.

The volume of oil and natural gas coming from the eight countries where Petrobras has production assets, in barrels of oil equivalent, topped-out at 224,917 barrels/day in March, 1% more than the previous month.

Natural gas production in domestic fields reached 49,868,000 cubic meters/day, 14.2% more than a year ago and 1.9% above February’s mark.

Tags: Petrobras