Peter Howard Wertheim
OGJ Correspondent
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 23 -- Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) logged 327 m of gross pay in the first of seven development wells it plans to drill in Manati gas and condensate field off Brazil's Bahia state, reported Norse Energy Corp. ASA, a partner.
The PA29 jack up drilled the well to 1,650 m TD on Block B-CAM-40 in the Camamu and Almada basins.
The gross pay thickness, 80% of it net pay in Upper Jurassic Sergi, is 140 m greater than in the discovery well. The development well also encountered 15 m of gross pay above the main reservoir in a formation called Rio das Contas. Petrobras cut nine cores in the Sergi reservoir.
The P13 jack up is side-tracking a second Manati development well after encountering hole stability problems.
The main production module has been mated with the previously installed jacket of the unmammed Manati platform, to which the seven production wells will be tied back. Production is to begin in the third quarter.
Petrobras estimates Manati reserves at 220 bcf of gas and 1.3 million bbl of condensate.
Petrobras is the operator of Block B-CAM-40 with 35% interest. Queiroz Galvão Perfuração holds 55% and Norse Energy, 10%.
