Offshore staff
RIO de JANEIRO, Brazil - Petrobras has announced the start-up of an extended well test (EWT) for the Carimbé reservoir, in the Campos Basin. Discovered last May, the reservoir is located 108 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The test, being carried out with well 6-CRT-43-RJS, marks the beginning of pre-salt oil exploration in the central area of the sedimentary basin.
Seeking to take advantage of the area's existing production and offloading infrastructure, after being drilled, assessed, and completed the EWT's well was interconnected to vessel platform FPSO P-48, which is installed at the Caratinga field and will be able to receive the production without any upgrade. The initial production planned for this well during the EWT period is 24,000 b/d and the total recoverable volume is estimated at 97 MMbbl.
The discovery is part of Petrobras' Planóleo strategy, a program designed to intensify exploration and production in areas surrounding fields that are already producing in order to harness the capacity of existing facilities, reduce costs, and streamline the production of new volumes of oil.
Petrobras has submitted a Discovery Assessment Plan (PAD) to the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP). In addition to the production derived from the well in the EWT, the plan also calls for the drilling and assessment of two extension wells.
In addition to the Carimbé accumulation, Petrobras has oil discoveries in the pre-salt layer in other Campos Basin regions. In the Albacora Leste field, there is evidence of oil at the site known as Crealb, while in Marlim Leste and Marlim, Petrobras will soon begin extended well tests in the areas known as Tracajá and Brava, respectively.
In the northern sector of the Campos Basin, off the coast of Espírito Santo, the area known as Parque das Baleias has been producing pre-salt oil since August 2008.
12/14/2010
