The FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18, owned and operated by the MODEC Group, arrived at a ship recycling facility in Denmark after completing its departure from Brazil and closing its activities in the Marlim Leste oil field, in the Campos Basin.
The floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit left the Brazilian offshore field on May 8, 2026, after completing the required demobilization activities. With this move, MODEC concludes the chartering, operation, and maintenance cycle for a facility that was part of the Marlim Leste development for Petrobras.
Una unidad fundamental para Marlim Leste
The FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18 was contracted by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. to support the development of the Marlim Leste field. MODEC was in charge of the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation on a turnkey basis, a scope known in the industry as EPCI.
Since its first oil production in February 2009, the Japanese company provided chartering and O&M services for approximately 17 years. During that period, the unit processed roughly 159 million barrels of oil, a figure that reflects the asset’s operational weight within Brazilian offshore production.
Recycling under international regulations
The FPSO will now be recycled in Denmark in accordance with applicable regulations for this type of operation. The process will be carried out under the European Union Regulation on Ship Recycling and the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.
Similarly, relocating to a specialized facility highlights the responsible management of floating assets at the end of their contractual life. In the offshore sector, this stage demands traceability, environmental control, and technical compliance to reduce risks during decommissioning.
Operational capacity and contract closure
The unit had the capacity to process 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day, 124 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, and store 1.6 million barrels of crude oil. These capabilities explain its role within a deepwater operation with high processing and storage demands.
Furthermore, the closing of the contract does not reduce MODEC’s global presence in the FPSO/FSO market; the company maintains operations and maintenance of several floating units in different regions and has four FPSOs under construction, supported by its integrated experience from EPCI to O&M.
MODEC maintains its offshore activity
With the completion of the FPSO Cidade de Niterói MV18, MODEC marks a significant milestone in Brazil and reinforces its reputation as a specialized contractor for floating solutions for offshore production. The company will continue to focus on FPSO and FSO units for energy projects requiring flexible marine infrastructure, continuous operation, and long-term technical support.
Source and photo: Modec
