With help from William Jacob Management, Devon Energy Corporation became the first company to produce Brazilian oil without being associated with state-owned Petrobras. With the fastest lead time to first oil, Devon announced first production from Polvo field in the Campos basin, offshore Rio de Janeiro, in July 2007 where Petrobras held an E&P monopoly in Brazil for 44 years.

Polvo production started at 5,000 b/d 19° API gravity oil from the first well and output was doubled soon after from a second well. Polvo field reserves were estimated at 50 MMbbl and gross production was expected to peak during 2008 at approximately 50,000 b/d of oil. Devon’s FPSO Polvo has a fluid processing capacity of 150,000 b/d, an oil processing capacity of 90,000 b/d, and 1.6 MMbbl of oil capacity.

The Polvo field was discovered in 2004, in approximately 341 ft of water on block BM-C-8. Devon won the area in the second bidding round held in 2000.

The area was developed by a fixed drilling and production platform installed in December 2006 in 344 ft of water. The facility handled 100,000 b/d of liquids, and produce up to 50,000 b/d of oil and 5 MMcf/d of natural gas. The four-leg wellhead platform jacket with eight skirt piles was fabricated by Kiewit Offshore Services in Corpus Christi, Texas.

William Jacob Management managed the FEED study by Paragon Design and managed the drill rig scope of work acting as the E&C Manager for the overall project. Additionally, William Jacob Management was instrumental in selecting the development scenario, assisted with offshore hookup and commissioning, managed the Brazil regulatory and importation scopes of work, resulting in being commended by the Brazilian Navy.