February oil and natural gas production in Brazil averaged 2.627 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 2.678 million boe/d in January, according to data published on the National Petroleum Agency's website.
February's output was up from 2.475 million boe/d produced in the same month of 2011, ANP said.
Oil production in February was 2.205 million b/d, 1.1% below the 2.231 million b/d in January, but 6.9% above February 2011's 2.062 million b/d, the agency said. Gas production was 67 million cubic meters/d, down 5.7% from 71 mil cu m/d January and 6.8% above the 62 mil cu m/d produced a year earlier.
ANP, which released the data Monday, said 91.7% of oil and gas produced came from Petrobras-operated fields and 91.9% of oil and 76% of gas produced in the month came from offshore fields.
The Marlim Sul field was the biggest producer, accounting for 352,800 boe/d, and two new fields began production -- Bauna, with 16,900 boe/d and Piracaba, with 9,100 boe/d. Both are in the Santos Basin.
Sub-salt field production in February was 141,500 boe/der day, 22.5% below that of January. ANP attributed the decline to a production halt related to a late January accident at the Dynamic Producer FPSO. Sub salt production was still up from February 2011's 62,800 b/d of oil and 2.3 mil cu m/d of gas.
