Equinor begins drilling Raia gas project in Brazil’s Campos basin

(WO) - Equinor has started drilling operations for the Raia development in Brazil’s Campos basin, marking a key step forward for one of the country’s largest offshore natural gas projects.

The Valaris DS-17 drillship spudded the first well on March 24, kicking off a campaign that will include six wells across the Raia area, located approximately 200 km offshore in water depths of about 2,900 meters. The project targets recoverable resources exceeding 1 billion boe in Brazil’s pre-salt province.

Raia is expected to play a significant role in strengthening Brazil’s gas supply, with planned export capacity of up to 16 million cubic meters per day—equivalent to roughly 15% of current national demand—when production starts in 2028.

The development will utilize a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, with produced gas transported via a 200-km pipeline to the Cabiúnas terminal in Rio de Janeiro state. The project represents Equinor’s largest international investment to date, with total spending estimated at $9 billion.

“Raia is Equinor’s largest project under execution and marks the deepest water depth operation in our portfolio,” said Geir Tungesvik, executive vice president for Projects, Drilling and Procurement. “Together with our partners and suppliers, we are applying world-class technology and decades of offshore expertise.”

Equinor operates the project with a 35% interest, alongside partners Repsol Sinopec Brasil (35%) and Petrobras (30%). The company said drilling activities are progressing in parallel with FPSO integration and commissioning, keeping the project on track for startup in 2028.

Pictured: The Valaris DS-17 drillship. Image: Valaris.