BW Energy has made a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with development of the Maromba field in Brazil’s offshore Campos Basin, targeting first oil by end-2027 and peak production of 60,000 boe/d. The company expects the project to more than double its total net output by 2028.
Located 100 km off the Brazilian coast, the Maromba field has seen nine wells drilled between 1980 and 2006, with oil discovered in eight across multiple reservoirs. The development targets 123 million bbl of 2P reserves (management estimates), with additional upside potential from other reservoirs to be appraised during the project.
Development Plan
Estimated at $1.5 billion—$1.2 billion for initial phases and $300 million for secondary drilling—the project will be developed using an integrated wellhead platform (WHP) and a refurbished floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
The WHP, a converted drilling jack-up to be acquired for $107.5 million, will feature up to 16 well slots. It will be connected to the redeployed FPSO BW Maromba (formerly Polvo) via production and test flowlines. The initial drilling phase includes six horizontal Maastrichtian wells with dry trees and electric submersible pumps. Oil will be transferred to the spread-moored FPSO for processing, storage, and offloading to shuttle tankers.
A second six-well drilling campaign will further evaluate and test deeper reservoir targets, building on the established infrastructure.
FPSO Upgrade
The BW Maromba FPSO is undergoing life extension and refurbishment at the COSCO yard in China. It will have 1 million bbl of storage, 100,000 b/d liquid handling capacity, 65,000 b/d oil processing capacity, and 85,000 b/d water treatment capability.
Project Status and Ownership
BW Energy is currently evaluating financing options and will begin contracting long-lead items. The company acquired full ownership of the Maromba field in 2019 for $115 million, with $85 million payable upon achieving set milestones. Magma Oil holds a 5% back-in right in the license, expected to be executed upon first oil.