Petrobras launches Sergipe campaign with oil discovery

Offshore staff

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- Petrobras has discovered light oil in sandstone reservoirs in the post-salt layer of the Piranema area offshore Sergipe basin. It estimates recoverable volumes at 15 MMbbl.

The exploratory well 3-PRM-12-SES was drilled in the far north of the Piranema concession area, 28 km (17.4 mi) off the coast of the state of Sergipe, to TD of 2,693 m (8,835 ft) in 800 m (2,624 ft) of water. Early analysis indicates 44° API oil, in reservoirs exhibiting good quality thickness, permeability, and porosity.

Petrobras plans further analysis to refine its understanding of the reservoir, and also is lining up a second well in the area. It is considering connecting the discovery well to the production platform in service on the Piranema field.

The company says this latest find, like the new discoveries announced recently close to the Pampo and Barracuda fields, is a result of a strategy to increase efforts around fields already in production (PLANÓLEO) to take advantage of existing infrastructure to implement profitable projects at lower cost, and to reduced the time taken from discovery to production.

Coincidentally, Petrobras CEO José Sergio Gabrielli visited the Sergipe to announce a new deepwater and shallow water exploratory drilling campaign this year in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin. Despite the large number of wells drilled onshore and in shallow waters in this basin, deepwater areas remain virtually unexplored.

The 2010 campaign will examine geological targets identified as prospective by the company’s geologists and geophysicists in various parts of the basin. Petrobras looks to drill eight wells, two around the Piranema field and six in blocks BM-SEAL-4, BM-SEAL-10, and BM-SEAL-11. The company also plans to initiate water injection/enhancement on various shallow water fields, including Camorim and Dourado. Petrobras claims this is its widest-ranging campaign to date in northeastern Brazil.

After completing the discovery well 3-PRM-12, the drilling rig SS-54 will be shut down for maintenance, but will return in mid-November to Sergipe to drill a second well, the 7-PRM-13. Rig NS-09 is scheduled to drill four more wells this year, three in block BM-SEAL-10 (100% Petrobras) and one in block BM-SEAL-4 (75% Petrobras, 25% ONGC).

This rig's campaign will start next month with well 1-SES-157, 3 km (1.8 mi) south of the Piranema field. A discovery here could be brought on stream through the FPSO Sevan Piranema. The rig then will move to drill a prospect in block BM-SEAL-4 under a project to survey potential reservoirs in the area. On completion of that well, the rig is to return to Piranema to drill two more wells on the Real and Crasto prospects. It is expected to finish its operations in December.

03/17/2010