By an OGJ correspondent
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 14 -- Petroleos Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has started early production from its biggest discovery since 1996.
Jubarte field came on stream following the start of a long-term test of its 3-ESS-110H well. The field lies on Block BC-60 in the northern Campos basin, about 70 km off Espirito Santo state.
Oil reserves are estimated at 600 million bbl of 17° gravity crude oil, according to José Coutinho Barbosa, Petrobras's exploration and production director.
Test simulations indicate that the well has the potential to produce 25,000 b/d of crude. Production is being increased gradually.
The testing phase is being carried out as scheduled with production reaching 16,500 b/d of oil and 100,000 cu m/day of natural gas. The oil is being produced into storage on the Seillean floating production, storage,and offloading (FPSO) vessel, from where it will be lightered by shuttle tanker to Petrobras onshore terminals and refineries, said Petrobras.
To date, Petrobras has spent $100 million on the project.
Project details
Jubarte field was discovered in January 2001; the find was confirmed in August 2002 following the drilling of the 3-ESS-110H well, added the director.
Spudded in 1,300 m of water by the Noble Paul Wolff semisubmersible, the 3-ESS-110H well has a horizontal displacment of 1,300 m within the oil-bearing formation.
The Seillean FPSO is specially equipped for long-duration testing and includes a high-powered submerged centrifugal pumping system for boosting production, affirms Petrobras' engineering department. So far no use has been made of the auxiliary pumping equipment.
Gas production from the field is being used to power other facilities onboard the Seillean.
The test stage is expected to take a year. It will provide technical information that will be used to establish a full field development facility as well as the most appropriate production technology to be used.