Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, May 26 -- A consortium comprised of Brazil's state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) 66%, Royal Dutch Shell PLC 20%, and Galp Energia SGPS SA 14% has made an oil discovery on ultradeepwater Block BM-S-8 in the Santos basin off Brazil.
Operator Petrobras said it proved the presence of oil in presalt reservoirs on the block after drilling well 1-BRSA-532A-SPS (1-SPS-52A). Preliminary analyses indicate an oil gravity of 25-28°, comparable to that of other presalt crudes found in the basin, the company said in a release. The wildcat is 250 km off the state of Sao Paulo in water 2,139 m deep.
Drilling was completed May 18 to 6,773 m TD, and the discovery proved via oil sampling in reservoirs nearly 6,000 m deep.
The consortium is preparing a discovery assessment plan to be sent to Brazil's National Petroleum Agency.
Photo from Odfjell Drilling.
