Shell Brasil, a subsidiary of Shell plc, announced that it has increased its participation in the Atapu and Mero projects, both located in the Santos Basin. With this operation, the company increased its stake from 16.663% to 16.917% in Atapu and from 19.3% to 20% in Mero, consolidating its presence in two of the country’s main offshore assets.
The operation was carried out through an auction organized by Pré-Sal Petróleo SA (PPSA), in which the following also participated Petrobrasthe main operator in Brazil, and is part of the company’s strategy to maintain liquids production of 1.4 million barrels per day until 2030.
Nearly US$350 million invested
The acquisition was completed after an offer of US$50.5 million for Atapu and US$293.4 million for Mero, with payments scheduled for December 2025. The contracts will be formalized in March 2026 and the updated participation will be effective as of 2027.
Today’s winning bid reinforces our disciplined approach to expanding Shell’s high-margin portfolio in Brazil. Our assets in Brazil are among the most competitive in our global portfolio, combining strong performance with a low carbon footprint.
Peter Costello, Shell Upstream President.
Relevance of Atapu and Grouper to Brazilian production
Both fields are part of the pre-salt production core, a very important region for Brazil’s energy future. At Atapu, production began in 2020 with the FPSO P-70, which has a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day, and the arrival of a second unit is being prepared, the FPSO P-84with a projected capacity of 225,000 barrels per day.
Mero already has four FPSOs in operation, Guanabara, Sepetiba, Marechal Duque de Caxias and Alexandre de Gusmão, which together have a gross production capacity of 770,000 barrels of oil per day. Mero has become one of the most advanced projects in the pre-salt, both in terms of its scale and the level of technology involved.
Petrobras-Shell alliance and global competitiveness
The operation reinforces the cooperation between Petrobras and Shell Brasil, key partners in the blocks. Petrobras holds the majority stake in both fields, while Shell Brazil has the largest Shell continues to expand its presence as the country’s second largest oil and gas producer.
The Brazilian pre-salt has established itself as one of the most profitable poles for offshore exploration, thanks to its high production volume and competitive costs. In this sense, Shell Brazil’ s decision to continue investing in these areas underscores its long-term vision and its commitment to efficiency and sustainability in fossil operations.
Source: Shell
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