Petrobras: New concept reduces postsalt well construction time, costs by half

Petrobras completed offshore well 7 GLF 49H ESS in early July in half the historical time and for half the cost using the True One Trip Ultra Slender (TOTUS) concept. Pioneering use of TOTUS resulted in a 44-day well completion time compared to the historical average of 96 days for the field. Cost reduction was about 50%, equivalent to $30 million.

The well, in Golfinho field, Espírito Santo basin, 100 km from Vitória, is the first postsalt well built with TOTUS, which consists of simplifying and reducing time on drilling and completion stages based on optimizations and innovations inserted in the design and planning phases, the operator said.

TOTUS, developed and patented by Petrobras, consists of drilling the well in only three phases (Ultra Slender) compared to four or five phases in conventional drilling, and a one-trip completion system (True One Trip) instead of two or more maneuvers for conventional completions. The technique can be used in certain mature fields of the postsalt where geological and reservoir characteristics favor its application. Petrobras said it can apply the concept in new wells drilled in 2021-2025 with potential cost reductions of $20-35 million per well.