Offshore staff
(Brazil)- The natural gas reserves of Brazil's Manati field could be increased after an analysis of the first of seven production wells drilled there confirmed the presence of an unknown reservoir, federal energy company Petrobras said in a statement.
Manati is located in the shallow waters of the Camamu-Almada basin, 10km off the coast of the northeastern state of Bahia. Petrobras has a 35% interest in the field. The operator is Brazilian engineering company Queiroz Galvao with 55% while Norwegian oil company Norse Energy, owns a 10% interest.
Initial estimates pegged Manati reserves at 24 bcm. The field's development project includes a well 1,656 m below the sea floor from the PA-29 platform. The new reserves are located 150 m above that, the statement said.
The Manati project would start supplying 3 MMcm/d of natural gas from early in the second half of 2006, building up to 6 MMcm/d by the end of the year. The gas would be transported onshore to the consuming centers through a 170 km, 14-in. pipeline.
Norse Energy said in a separate statement that theP-13 platform, the second platform that will operate in Manati, has arrived in Brazil. The Manati consortium has also started drilling the second production well, Norse Energy said.
Manati's output would more than double the current supply in Bahia, which is declining from 6 MMcm/d.
5/23/2006
