FPSO at Brazil's Mero field reaches peak production capacity of 180,000 barrels per day

FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão, a floating production, storage and offloading unit, has reached its project designed peak production capacity at the pre-salt Mero field in the Santos Basin, Brazil, with a daily oil processing capacity of 180,000 barrels. This FPSO is the fifth unit of its kind in the Mero field, leased by Petrobras from SBM Offshore. It is designed to connect to 12 wells, including 6 production wells and 6 water or gas injection wells. Currently, it is actually connected to 5 production wells and 3 injection wells.

The Mero field is currently the third largest producing field in Brazil, behind only Búzios and Tupi. In addition to the Alexandre de Gusmão, the field also has the FPSOs Pioneiro de Libra, Guanabara, Sepetiba, and Marechal Duque de Caxias deployed. Before this FPSO reached its maximum capacity, Mero’s average daily production in the second quarter of 2026 stood at approximately 740,000 barrels. The field also features a PRM (Permanent Reservoir Monitoring) seismic project – a network of subsea sensors designed to improve reservoir management and enhance recovery.

In the future, Mero will also deploy the HISEP technology, developed and patented by Petrobras, which separates produced oil from CO₂ rich associated gas at the seabed and reinjects the gas directly into the reservoir. The project is operated in partnership with Petrobras, Shell Brasil, TotalEnergies, CNPC, CNOOC, and PPSA, with PPSA acting on behalf of the Brazilian federal government to manage the production sharing contract.

The extraction of oil and natural gas cannot be achieved without separation equipment.

Shanghai SAGA Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd., established in Shanghai in 2016, is a modern technology enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, and service. We are dedicated to developing separation and filtration equipment for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Our high-efficiency product portfolio includes de-oiling/dewatering hydrocyclones, desanders for micron-sized particles, and compact flotation units. We provide complete skid-mounted solutions and also offer third-party equipment retrofitting and after-sales services. Holding multiple proprietary patents and operating under a DNV-GL certified ISO-9001, ISO-14001, and ISO-45001 management system, we deliver optimized process solutions, precise product design, strict adherence to engineering specifications, and ongoing operational support.

Our high-efficiency cyclone desanders, renowned for their exceptional 98% separation rate, have earned recognition from international energy leaders. Constructed with advanced wear-resistant ceramics, these units achieve 98% removal of particles as fine as 0.5 microns in gas streams. This capability enables the reinjection of produced gas for miscible flooding in low-permeability reservoirs, a key solution for enhancing oil recovery in challenging formations. Alternatively, they can treat produced water, removing 98% of particles larger than 2 microns for direct reinjection, thereby boosting water-flood efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.

Our new product—The High Efficiency Ultra-Fine Particle Desander is a liquid-solid separation device that utilizes an efficient centrifugal principle to separate suspended impurities—such as solids in produced water, seawater, condensate, fine particles in high-viscosity liquids, and catalyst powder in reactors—from fluids (liquids, gases, or gas-liquid mixtures). It effectively removes solid particles with sizes down to 2 microns (at 98% efficiency) or smaller.

The High Efficiency Ultra-Fine Particle Desander delivers high sand removal efficiency, capable of removing solid particles down to 2 microns. The equipment features a compact footprint, requires no external power or chemical additives, and has a service life of approximately 20 years. It offers online sand discharge capability without the need for production shutdown.

Proven in major global fields operated by CNOOC, CNPC, Petronas, and others across Southeast Asia, SAGA desanders are deployed on wellhead and production platforms. They provide reliable solids removal from gas, well fluids, and condensate, and are critical for seawater purification, production stream protection, and water injection/flooding programs.

Beyond desanders, SAGA offers a portfolio of acclaimed separation technologies. Our product line includes membrane systems for natural gas CO₂ removal, deoiling hydrocyclones, high-performance compact flotation units (CFUs), Shale gas desanding, Cyclonic dewatering package with produced water treatment, and multi-chamber hydrocyclones, delivering comprehensive solutions for the industry's toughest challenges.