Equinor starts drilling major gas development in Brazil

Equinor has commenced drilling activities for the Raia project in the pre-salt region of Brazil’s Campos Basin, marking a significant milestone as the development advances toward its planned start-up in 2028.

Drilling operations for the Raia project commenced on 24 March with the deployment of the Valaris DS-17 drillship. The campaign will cover six wells in the Raia area, situated approximately 200 kilometres offshore Brazil in water depths of around 2,900 metres.

This phase supports the development of one of Brazil’s most significant natural gas projects, with recoverable resources exceeding one billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Once operational, the project is expected to export up to 16 million cubic metres of natural gas per day—potentially meeting around 15% of Brazil’s demand—while strengthening Equinor’s international equity production, long-term cash flow, and contributing to the country’s energy security.

The Raia project is operated by Equinor (35%), in partnership with Repsol Sinopec Brasil (35%) and Petrobras (30%). The drilling campaign also leverages the partners’ extensive deepwater expertise, including prior collaboration on the Bacalhau field, where the DS-17 previously participated in drilling activities.

“Raia is Equinor’s largest project under execution and marks the deepest water depth operation in our portfolio. Together with our partners and suppliers, we are applying world-class technology and decades of offshore expertise. While drilling takes place, integration and commissioning activities on the FPSO are progressing well putting us on track towards a safe start of operations in 2028”, Says Geir Tungesvik, executive vice president, Projects, Drilling and Procurement.