bp finds potential oil and gas giant at Bumerangue offshore Brazil

bp has made what the company believes is its largest oil and gas discovery in 25 years, on the deepwater Bumerangue prospect in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil.

Exploration well 1-BP-13-SPS was drilled to a total depth of 5,855 m in the Bumerangue Block, 404 km (218 nautical miles) from Rio de Janeiro in a water depth of 2,372 m.

It penetrated the reservoir about 500 m below the crest of the structure, encountering a 500-m gross hydrocarbon column in a good-quality presalt carbonate reservoir extending over an area of more than 300 sq km.

Onsite analysis indicated elevated levels of CO₂. Laboratory studies will now follow, designed to further characterize the reservoir and fluids, providing further insight into the block’s potential.

bp plans follow-up appraisal activities, subject to regulatory permission.

The company was awarded the block in December 2022 under the ANP’s 1st Cycle of the Open Acreage of Production Sharing round.

Westwood weighs in on Bumerangue

Westwood Global Energy Group highlighted Bumerangue as one of the key wells to watch worldwide during a webcast last week.

According to the company’s exploration research manager Jamie Collard, Bumerangue is in an unexplored part of the Santos Basin, and the 100% award of the block to an international oil company was a rare event for Brazil.

The well was spud at the end of May; he described Bumerangue as a carbonate prospect over a large basement high, with potential oil and gas in place of 2.4 Bboe, of which an estimated 500 MMboe could be recoverable.

The nearest commercial presalt discovery is the producing Sapinhoa Field 60 km to the north, which has a 16% CO₂ content. In the same region, the only other commercial discovery was Petrobras’ large Jupiter gas-condensate field in 2008, Collard added, which is CO₂-rich and yet to be developed.

Petrobras followed up with a successful drillstem test over the area in the BM-S-24 concession in 2024.

Gordon Birrell, bp’s evp for Production & Operations, said Bumerangue was the company’s tenth discovery so far this year, following Beryl and Frangipani offshore Trinidad, Fayoum 5 and El King in Egypt, Far South in the US Gulf of Mexico, Hasheem in Libya, and Alto de Cabo Frio Central offshore Brazil.

Discoveries offshore Africa

Offshore Namibia and Angola, the company scored further finds via Azule Energy, its 50:50 joint venture with Eni.

The National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) and Azule Energy reported July 29 the startup and first oil production from the Agogo FPSO. Azule said this is the centerpiece of the Agogo Integrated West Hub (Agogo IWH) project offshore Angola, which involves the development of two fields, Agogo and Ndungu, in the West Hub of Block 15/06.

The Agogo IWH project is operated by Azule Energy with a 36.84% stake, with partners Sonangol E&P (36.84%) and Sinopec International (26.32%).

In addition, Azule Energy and its partners have discovered gas in the Lower Congo Basin offshore Angola, according to a July 11 company press release. The Gajajeira-01 exploration well started drilling on April 1 in 95 m water depth, 60 km offshore.

Steel cutting for fabrication of Tangguh UCC platform

At the Karimun yard in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, first steel was cut last week for the jacket for bp’s Tangguh UCC project platform, according to a July 30 bp news release.

The project includes development of 3 Tcf from the offshore Ubadari gas field, enhanced gas recovery through carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and onshore compression. It will also expand existing infrastructure at the Tangguh LNG complex in Papua Barat.

Production from Ubadari Field is set to begin in 2028.