Petrobras confirms discovery of deepwater gas in Colombia

Petrobras has confirmed the presence of gas in a reservoir off the coast of Colombia. The discovery was announced by the Brazilian state-owned oil giant on Monday (Aug. 5). The well is located 31 kilometers off the coast, in the Caribbean Sea, at a depth of 804 meters.

The discovery in the Uchuva-2 well is an extension of the finding of natural gas in Uchuva-1, known since 2022, in a water depth of some 830 meters.

According to the company, the location of the well “adds relevant information for the development of a new frontier of exploration and production in Colombia, reinforcing the volumetric potential for gas in the region.”

Uchuva-2, located in the Guajira basin, had its operations initiated on June 19. The reservoir is located 76 kilometers from the city of Santa Marta.

Petrobras reported that activities in the well are “being carried out in five phases, and the gas-bearing interval was detected in phase four of drilling.”

Exploration in the region is carried out by a consortium formed by Petrobras as operator (44.44 percent stake), in partnership with Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos (Ecopetrol), which holds a 55.56 percent stake.

Petrobras around the world

Colombia is one of the five countries—apart from Brazil—in which Petrobras carries out oil or natural gas exploration and production.

In Argentina, through its subsidiary Petrobras Operaciones S.A., the company holds a 33.6 percent stake in the Neuquén river production.

In Bolivia, it produces gas mainly in the San Alberto and San Antonio fields, with a 35 percent stake in each of these service operation contracts, which are administered mainly to supply gas to Brazil and Bolivia.

In the US, it operates in deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico, with a 20 percent stake held by Petrobras America Inc., forming the MPGoM joint venture with Murphy Exploration & Production Company.

On February 8, 2024, Petrobras completed the acquisition of stakes in three exploration blocks in São Tomé and Príncipe, on the west coast of Africa. The operation marked the resumption of exploratory operations on the African continent, with the aim of diversifying its portfolio, and is in line with the state-owned company’s long-term strategic plan.