CHC Brazil wins new contracts with Petrobras and opens new hangar
CHC Brasil, part of CHC Helicopter, has started operations from a new hangar at Maricá Airport, after winning four new contracts with the state-owned energy company Petrobras.
The new hangar at the airport near Rio de Janeiro, will help CHC deliver on two of the new contracts with Petrobras related to its work at the pre-salt of Santos Basin offshore oil region. The four new contracts involve four Sikorsky S-92A helicopters. Petrobras is the largest CHC customer in Brazil.
CHC held a launch ceremony earlier this month and the event was marked by the arrival of two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters. The event highlighted Maricá Airport’s importance in supporting offshore operations, particularly in the Búzios Field, in respect of deep water oil and gas production.
Búzios Field (formerly known as Franco) is a large deepwater oil field located in the Cessão Onerosa region of the pre-salt Santos Basin, of the coast of Brazil. The offshore field covers an area of 416sqkm and is situated about 200km from Rio de Janeiro at water depths ranging between 1,600m and 2,100m.
As part of the new contracts, CHC will provide crew change flights to over 60 offshore units operated by Petrobras and its partners from Jacarepaguá and Maricá airports.
Some of the contracts started in the first quarter of this year with others beginning in the third quarter. Varying between three to five years in length, the total contract value is estimated at more than $300m. CHC operates 15 aircraft to support 12 contracts in the country.
Licia Rocha, CHC’s sales director – Latin America, said: “We have built a trusted relationship with Petrobras since 1990 through providing the highest levels of operational excellence and safety. This new hangar will help support us on delivering these new contracts and demonstrates our commitment to the region and the value of long-term partners committed to sustainable contracts.”
The new contracts come after CHC was named the number one provider for Operational Excellence in Offshore Transportation in Brazil by Petrobras.
Meanwhile in May, CHC Brasil won a contract with Equinor Brazil to support production in the heavy oil Peregrino field in the Campos Basin on the country’s South Atlantic coast, near Rio de Janeiro.
