Petrobras testing yields promising result in ultra-deep water well
The pre-salt field on the Santos basin may show high output rates
Published on 03/10/2018 - 20:44 By Cristina Indio do Brasil - Rio de Janeiro
A long-duration test concluded by Petrobras in the Mero field, part of the Libra block, in the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin, pointed towards a “great result in ultra-deep water.”
The technological results reached in the period were reported to be “key to gathering high-quality data and mitigate uncertainties about the reservoir, which will enable the accelerated implementation of up to four definitive production systems in Libra in the coming years.”
The production, operated by the Libra Consortium, started in November 2017 and was conducted by the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel Pioneiro de Libra, Petrobras’s first unit dedicated to long-duration testing and equipped for injecting the gas produced in the process.
High output rates
According to the state-controlled oil giant, during the tests, brought to end yesterday (Oct. 2), the production well linked to the FPSO reached 58 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Petrobras reported that each system will have the capacity to produce up to 180 thousand barrels of oil per day. The technology will also contribute to the safe and efficient development of the upcoming projects in the global industry of oil and natural gas in ultra-deep water.
Libra is regarded as the biggest oil and gas production ever devised by the world’s offshore industry. “The area presents reserves that are among Brazil’s most productive ones, with oil columns up to 400 meters thick.”
The Libra consortium is led by Petrobras, with 40 percent, in partnership with Shell (20 percent), Total (20 percent) and Chinese CNPC (10 percent) and CNOOC Limited (10 percent). The consortium is also joined by Brazilian state-run Pré-Sal Petróleo (PPSA), manager of the contract.
Translation: Fabrício Ferreira - Edition: Fernando Fraga / Augusto Queiroz