Roncador Field - A Rapid Development Challenge in Ultra-Deep Water
Authors: Garcia Alexandre L. , Pinto Flávio J.C.P. , Dias Marco A.G. , Mattos Ana M.C.G.F. 
Published: October 2008

Roncador, a giant field in the northern area of Campos Basin, was discovered in October 1996, at water depths that range from 1,500 to 2,000 m. Its development is planned to perform parallel investments for the appraisal phase, the technological development, and the first development module, instead of the more traditional sequential strategy. This challenge will allow PETROBRAS to start the field production at the beginning of 1999, through a definitive production system, only 2.5 years after its discovery. This paper presents the planning for the overall field exploitation, including the criteria adopted in its implementation, the conception of the first module for the field development, and the technological constraints to be overcome, emphasizing those that go beyond the barrier of the 1,500 m. water depth. The Roncador field development success will prove the commercial and technological feasibility, in large scale, for oilfields located in water depth as deep as 2,000 m, reaching the current goal for PROCAP-2000, the PETROBRAS' deepwaters research program. The achievement of this goal will allow PETROBRAS to set a new challenge - the 3,000 m water depth limit. The concept of the first module represents the conclusion of the analyses and technical studies related to the exploitation of an oilfield located in ultra-deep waters. The paper also presents an overview of technological alternatives, including some less feasible options. The critical path of project schedule, the risk management of both the uncertainties of the reservoir and the ultra-deep water technological development, and also the commitments assumed for the production start-up, add to this project some unusual and very challenging characteristics.

Introduction

After the discovery of 2 giant fields, Albacora (1984) and Marlim (1985), in waters from 200m (656 ft) to 2,000m (6,560 ft), both in Campos Basin, PETROBRAS faced II years later (October, 1996) to the discovery of Roncador giant field, in water depths ranging from 1,500m (4,920 ft.) to 1,900 m (6,230 ft.), located in northern area of Campos Basin (Fig. I). The concept of deep water has been changing along the years being governed mostly by the technologicalachievement. Presently PETROBRAS considers waters of more of 300m to 1,000m (980 to 3,280ft) as deep waters and above 1,000m (3,280 ft) as ultra-deep waters. The petroleum production in deep and ultra-deep waters is to PETROBRAS mainly as a necessity, because most of the Brazilian reserves are located there: 33% in deep water and 35% in ultra-deep water, and these numbers tend to grow. To reach the necessary technological development to produce oil and gas at the new discovery reserves in Campos Basin, PETROBRAS has started in 1986 a Program of Technological Development in Deep Water Production Systems (PROCAP)1. In six years this Program undertook 109 interdisciplinary projects. Its main result was full technological capability through the Floating Production System based on semi-submersibles for production in water depths up to 1,000. After this Program PETROBRAS has started in 1993, PROCAP 2000 (the same program, but with technological goals for ultra-deep waters until the year 2,000), with 2 major objectives:Enable PETROBRAS to produce oil and gas from offshore fields situated in ultra-deep water (l, 000 to 3,000 m) aiming at incorporating the reserves located at these water depths; andDevelop technological innovation projects aimed at reducing cost of oil and gas production, in relation to current conventional systems, in fields located in deep and ultra-deep waters.