Petrobras Santos basin well taps light oil

A well drilled by Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) and partners encountered light oil in ultradeep water in a frontier section of the Santos basin 250 km off Rio de Janeiro.

July 13, 2006

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 13 -- A well drilled by Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) and partners encountered light oil in ultradeep water in a frontier section of the Santos basin 250 km off Rio de Janeiro.

The well, designated 1-BRSA-369A-RJS (1-RJS-628A), is not yet completed. It is expected to reach a TVD of 6,000 m in 2,140 m of water on the BM-S-11 Block.

Petrobras called the well Brazil's first to penetrate an evaporitic salt sequence more than 2,000 m thick.

Drilling followed a study at the Petrobras Research and Development Center (CENPES) in Rio de Janeiro of drilling and casing plans for the first of four deep exploratory wells in the Santos basin that would penetrate salt (OGJ, June 5, 2006, p. 36).

Petrobras said it needs to do more work to assess commerciality of the reservoir.

Petrobras, operator, has a 65% stake in the frontier block. BG has 25%, and Petrogal has 10%.