Collecting seismic data will allow for better field management and increased production.
Petrobras and its partners in the Libra Consortium will invest approximately US$450 million in the world's most extensive seismic monitoring project. In simple terms, the technology uses an ultrasound of the seabed, revealing its geological structures and the movement of fluids such as oil, gas, and water. In this project, a subsea infrastructure composed of a network of sensors and optical instruments will monitor the behavior of the Mero field reservoir in the Santos Basin. Mero is one of Brazil's main oil-producing fields and is in the implementation and production expansion phase. In January 2026, it surpassed 680,000 barrels per day on average each month, reinforcing its relevance in the national scenario.
This project, unprecedented in deep waters, will provide data that will allow for a deeper understanding of reservoir behavior and its dynamics over time. This will enable better management, ensuring maximum oil recovery from the reservoirs.
The installation of a permanent network of seismic sensors on the seabed is known as PRM, an acronym for Permanent Reservoir Monitoring System . By optimizing field management, the technology maximizes oil production without a significant increase in emissions, thus contributing to a reduction in the carbon footprint.
The first phase of the project, involving the installation of over 460 km of cables with optical sensors, covering an area of 222 km², was completed in March of this year. The system will be responsible for monitoring oil and gas production activities on the FPSOs Guanabara (Mero 1) and Sepetiba (Mero 2). FPSOs are platforms that produce, store, and transport oil. The first data will be collected in the second quarter of 2026.
The second phase is also underway with the construction of an additional 316 km of seismographic cables, which will cover another 140 km² of the production areas of the FPSOs Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) and Alexandre de Gusmão (Mero 4). This stage will be completed next year.
For now, computers on board the platforms will receive the data collected from the seabed, but in the future, the data will be sent, via fiber optics, to the company's headquarters.
Furthermore, Petrobras, in partnership with UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), will use Artificial Intelligence to continuously capture information from the PRM system in the Mero area, contributing to scientific research and operational safety in the field.
Mero Field
The Mero unitized field is located in the Libra Block, belonging to the consortium of the same name, and is operated by Petrobras in partnership with Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda., Total Energies EP Brasil Ltda., CNPC, CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda., and Pré-Sal Petróleo SA – PPSA, which acts as manager of the Production Sharing Contract and represents the Union in the area adjacent to the field.
Source: Petrobras
