From Houston (BN) and the UK: In the aftermath of the various investigations (see Business story, page 13) - and fines paid (SEN, 31/17) - related to illegal payments made to Petrobras employees, SBM Offshore will be hard put to recover its position as fpso contractor of choice in the Brazilian sector.

Teekay Offshore - with local partner - picked up the recent Libra test well vessel contract (31/16) and Modec has now added another job to others won in Brazil.

The Japanese contractor, with Brazilian partner Schahin Group, has bagged the supply, charter, and operations contract for an an fpso vessel for the Tartaruga Verde and Targaruga Mestica (31/16) fields in the Campos Basin’s BM-C-36 block. The floater is due for delivery in the summer 2017.

The unit will be typical of what Petrobras has ordered before, but with less stringent water depth requirements. The water is in ‘just’ 750m, modest by Brazilian standards.

The processing capacity will be 150,000b/d and 5mcm/d plus capability to provide 200,00bw/d for injection purposes and storage for 1.6mmbbls.

SBM and Petrobras announced the fpso Cidade de Ilhabela has begun operations in the Sapinhóa (31/14) field in the Santos Basin pre-salt area. This deal was announced before the recent difficulties.

It has capacity almost exactly the same as the new Modec vessel ordered. It will produce from nine wells plus seven water injectors for pressure support linked to the fpso. The project is expected to ramp up to peak production by the second half of next year.

Technip will provide flexible pipe for the Iracema North (31/11) field in the Santos pre-salt area, and following a similar deal for Iracema South. The scope is 114km of gas flexibles for lift, injection and export. Technip says its Vitoria and Açu factories will produce the pipe.