Petrobras starts extended well test at Iara

July 1, 2014
Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has started an extended well test (EWT) in the Iara evaluation area on Block BM-S-11, 300 km offshore Brazil in 2,200 m of water.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has started an extended well test (EWT) in the Iara evaluation area on Block BM-S-11, 300 km offshore Brazil in 2,200 m of water.

The EWT—part of the Discovery Evaluation Program approved by Brazil’s National Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANP)—is being conducted on the 3-BRSA-1132-RJS (RJS-706) well in the western portion of the Iara Evaluation Plan, using the Dynamic Producer floating production, storage, and offloading vessel.

Petrobras says the well’s initial production of 29,000 b/d of oil is similar to production of wells that are currently producing for commercial purposes in the Santos basin presalt, indicating the area’s “enormous potential.”

The EWT is the first to be carried out in Iara, and will facilitate the acquisition of data for development of the 2008 discovery (OGJ Online, Aug. 8, 2008; Sept. 12, 2008). At the time, Petrobras said it expected the field to yield 3-4 billion boe of recoverable light crude and natural gas.

Petrobras last summer found that the presalt carbonate reservoirs in the fourth exploratory well in the Iara area have better characteristics than those found in the Iara discovery well (OGJ Online, July 25, 2013).

Later that year, the company identified a 310-m hydrocarbon column in a fifth exploratory well, with reservoir characteristics similar to those found in the vertical discovery well that encountered good quality 28° gravity oil (OGJ Online, Nov. 13, 2013).

The Evaluation Plan will expire at yearend, at which point the consortium is required to submit the declaration of commerciality to the ANP.

Petrobras is operator of Iara with 65% interest. Partners are BG E&P Brasil Ltda. 25% and Petrogal Brasil SA 10%.