SBM Offshore has informed that the FPSO Cidade de Saquarema has departed the Rio de Janeiro-based Brasa shipyard quayside, and is heading offshore Brazil, following a module integration.

The FPSO Cidade de Saquarema arrived at the Brasa shipyard in mid-December 2015. The FPSO is bound for Petrobras’ Lula field in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, to start its 20-year lease and operate contract. It will operate in a water depth of 2200 meters.

The vessel’s operator said that the module integration, from the first lift to quayside departure, lasted just over four months.

SBM Offshore said that, following the EPC phase, the project team handed the unit over to SBM Offshore’s Installation and Operations teams.

Oliver Kassam, SBM Offshore Managing Director in Brazil, said: “The Group and its partner have invested in the development of Brasa to build and integrate FPSO modules and in the training of the national workforce at the yard, in the Rio office and onshore bases.”

Kassam also added: “After the successful start-up of production SBM Offshore’s Operations look forward to operating Saquarema over the coming 20 years.”

The vessel has processing capacity of up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil and 6 million cubic meters of gas per day, and storage capacity of approximately 1.6 million barrels of crude oil.