Satellite Network Expansion to Connect Seven New Petrobras Oil Platforms
SES O3b mPOWER MEO System Selected to Support Brazil’s Growing Offshore Energy Operations
SES will deploy its O3b mPOWER medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellite network to provide high-capacity connectivity across seven new Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels being commissioned by Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil company. The platforms are scheduled to enter operation between 2026 and 2030, expanding Petrobras’ offshore oil and gas production capacity to meet national energy needs and contribute to global oil markets.
“Petrobras’ choice to power their new FPSOs with SES confirms O3b mPOWER MEO as the go-to platform for mission-critical energy operations.” Ricardo La Guardia, SES
FPSOs are offshore oil production platforms that process, collect, store and transfer crude oil directly from subsea wells in deepwater fields to shuttle tankers. Brazil hosts the majority of offshore energy projects currently under development worldwide, and Petrobras is one of the largest FPSO operators on the planet, responsible for most of the country’s oil and gas output.
The seven new platforms represent the next generation of Petrobras’ deepwater buildout, targeting frontier fields where conventional fixed offshore infrastructure is not viable. Each FPSO must operate as a self-contained production facility — processing and offloading oil without a fixed pipeline link to shore — placing exceptional demands on remote connectivity for both operational management and crew welfare.
The O3b mPOWER system, operational since 2024, delivers carrier-grade, low-latency broadband with the ability to dynamically shift capacity between uplink and downlink. Real-time sensor feeds, telemetry, safety system monitoring and crew communications all compete for bandwidth aboard a working FPSO, and that flexibility is a practical operational advantage.
“Since the start of service of our O3b mPOWER system, SES has become a key partner for our energy customers, customers with a focus on communications performance, resiliency, and consistency to optimize their operations and improve their efficiency,” said Ricardo La Guardia, Vice President Latin America for SES. “Brazil leads the world in new offshore projects. Petrobras’ choice to power their new FPSOs with SES confirms O3b mPOWER MEO as the go-to platform for mission-critical energy operations.”
The expansion reflects the accelerating digitalization of Brazil’s offshore energy sector, where the ability to convert real-time operational data into faster decisions has become a critical efficiency and safety factor. O3b mPOWER’s MEO architecture delivers lower signal latency than traditional geostationary systems, while its open-standard design allows integration with existing onboard infrastructure without proprietary hardware lock-in.