Repsol, TotalEnergies, and Shell start oil production at Lapa Southwest in Brazil

Repsol, through its joint venture Repsol Sinopec Brazil and in partnership with TotalEnergies and Shell, has started oil production at the Lapa Southwest project in the Santos Basin, around 300 kilometers offshore Brazil.

At peak production, Lapa Southwest is expected to deliver about 25,000 gross barrels of oil per day, increasing the total output of the Lapa field to approximately 60,000 gross barrels per day. Repsol Sinopec Brazil holds a 25% working interest in the project, while TotalEnergies, the operator, holds 48%, and Shell holds 27%.

The project involves connecting three subsea wells to the Lapa Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit through a subsea tie-back system. This approach allows the partners to develop additional reserves while utilizing the available capacity of the existing Lapa FPSO.

“The start-up of Lapa Southwest highlights our consistent ability to efficiently deliver key projects approved in recent years. It also supports our strategy to further strengthen and optimize our upstream portfolio,” said José Carlos Vicente Bravo, Executive Director of International E&P at Repsol.

Earlier in 2025, the Cypre and Mento projects in Trinidad and Tobago achieved first gas, while the Leon-Castile project in the U.S. Gulf delivered first oil in September. In the coming months, the first phase of the Pikka development in Alaska is expected to begin production. Together with Lapa Southwest, these projects are projected to add around 80,000 barrels per day of low-breakeven, low-CO₂-intensity production to Repsol’s portfolio by 2027.

Repsol continues to focus its exploration and production activities on key growth regions, with Brazil playing a central role. One of the major developments is the Raia Project (BM-C-33) in the Campos Basin, which is being developed in partnership with Equinor and Petrobras. The project is expected to start operations in 2028 and has the potential to become one of Brazil’s most significant sources of natural gas.