OSLO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Norway's Equinor ( EQNR ) said

on Thursday it has begun oil production at its Bacalhau field in

Brazil.

With recoverable reserves exceeding one billion barrels of

oil equivalent (boe), Bacalhau is the largest international

offshore field developed by Equinor ( EQNR ) to date.

"With this development, we are strengthening the longevity

of our oil and gas production and securing value creation for

decades to come," Equinor ( EQNR ) CEO Anders Opedal said in a statement.

Operator Equinor ( EQNR ) holds a 40% stake in the field, while

ExxonMobil Brasil holds 40% and Petrogal Brasil 20%.

Brazil's government-owned Pre-Sal Petroleo is a partner in

the field as production sharing agreement manager.