Equinor completes delivery of 186 km gas pipeline for Raia project in Brazil

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Norwegian oil company Equinor announced on the 6th that it has completed the 186-kilometer natural gas export pipeline section of the Raia project, and reported the completion of the project's first production well, PDA-P14. Located in the pre-salt natural gas production area of the Campos Basin (Bacia de Campos) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, the project has a budget of US$9 billion and is jointly invested by operator Equinor (35% stake) and partners Repsol Sinopec (35% stake) and Petrobras (30% stake).

The gas pipeline infrastructure totals just over 200 kilometers in length, with the majority located underwater and ready for use, plus 4 kilometers onshore. The pipeline will connect the floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO, a ship-shaped platform) installed in the pre-salt layer to the natural gas transmission network at the Cabiúnas terminal in Macaé (Rio de Janeiro state). Work still needs to proceed on the onshore section, and connect the shallow-water segment—approximately 15 kilometers, delivered in September 2025—with the longer ultra-deepwater section.

To advance subsequent construction, Equinor has deployed the lift barge Saturn (a type of "self-elevating barge") in the Macaé area. This equipment assists in gas pipeline installation through "horizontal directional drilling" (HDD) activities, a method used to lay pipelines and cables underground. Equinor stated that the arrival of Saturn marks the beginning of a new phase of the campaign, including pilot hole operations, reaming, and pipe pullback, all carried out prior to the final installation of the infrastructure.

For the ultra-deepwater phase of the gas pipeline, the project used pipes manufactured by Tenaris, with 99% of the steel being domestically produced. The pipeline reaches a maximum depth of 2,735 meters below the water surface, which Equinor describes as the deepest gas pipeline in the world.

Based on the current delivery schedule, the project's timeline for first oil in 2028 is progressing as planned. Equinor stated that at peak, the project will have the capacity to deliver 16 million standard cubic meters per day (MSm³/d) to the Brazilian market, which could account for 15% of national demand. Recoverable oil/condensate reserves exceed 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

All natural gas produced offshore will be treated and processed on the FPSO and delivered directly to the pipeline network, without the need for an onshore processing plant—a first in Brazil's industrial history.