Norway’s Aker Solutions has entered into a frame agreement with Petrobras valued at approximately NOK 4.6 Bn (US $800m) to supply subsea equipment for the operator’s deepwater pre-salt field developments offshore Brazil, while also receiving a separate second call-off order of an undisclosed value for the delivery of subsea equipment for the operator’s Sapinhoá and Lula Nordeste projects.

The first frame agreement’s workscope covers 60 well-sets with vertical subsea trees, subsea control systems, tools and spares between 2014-2018, said Aker. Petrobras will deploy the 60 well-sets on its pre-salt fields located around 300 km from the São Paulo coast in the Santos Basin.

The call-off order for subsea equipment for the Sapinhoá and Lula Nordeste developments in Brazil is from a separate frame agreement signed in April 2010, when Petrobras ordered subsea production equipment for the same fields. The scope of work includes 20 well-sets with vertical subsea trees, subsea control systems, tools and spares between 2013-2015.

Aker has already delivered the first well-sets for the 2010 frame agreement, and said that technology developed for this contract will be utilised in the new order.

Aker has provided subsea production equipment for the three initial field developments in the Brazilian pre-salt area. The equipment for the Sapinhoá and Lula Nordeste fields will be engineered and manufactured at its’ subsea technology centre in Curitiba, Paraná state.

- Aker has also decided to further invest and expand in the country due to the new frame agreement, in addition to future market forecasts for the booming Brazilian market. A new subsea manufacturing facility will be established in Curitiba in Parana state, 800 km south of Rio. This new technology centre will replace the current plant by 2015 and employ approximately 1,100 people.

Only the first few well-sets within the new frame agreement will be manufactured at the existing plant, added Aker, while the remaining well-sets will be assembled and tested at the new facility.