Offshore staff
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Petrobras has hit light oil with two wells in the pre-salt layer off the coast of Espírito Santo. The recoverable volume of the discoveries, made in reservoirs underneath the Baleia Franca, Baleia Azul, and Jubarte heavy oil fields, is estimated between 1.5 and 2 Bboe, the company says
The 6-BFR-1-ESS and 6-BAZ-1DB-ESS wells were drilled nearly 80 km (50 mi) off the coast and 5 and 6 km (3 and 4 mi) to the north and to the south, respectively, of discovery well 1-ESS-103A, located in the pre-salt section under the Jubarte heavy oil field, which has been producing at a high flow since last September.
In these two wells, the reservoirs were discovered under a layer of up to 700 m (2,297 ft) of salt and at depths ranging from 1,348 and 1,426 m (4,423 and 4,678 ft) from the water line. The reservoirs are located 4,200 to 4,800 m (13,780 to 15,748 ft) below sea level and have oil-bearing porous thicknesses of 190 and 300 m (623 and 984 ft), the company reports.
With the new discoveries, the total estimated volume of oil in the Parque das Baleias area, including the reservoirs located above and below the salt layer, already adds up to some 3.5 Bboe, the company says.
11/21/2008
