A new post-salt deepwater discovery was made by Petrobras in Brazil’s Espírito Santo basin, with the operator saying the block is already being lined up for development.
The Brazilian state-owned major hit the new oil accumulation named Grana Padano within the BM-ES-24 concession (Block ES-M-661), located 58 km (36 miles) off the coast of Vitória. The discovery, containing oil with an API of 15°, lies 64 km (40 miles) from the operator’s Golfinho field in a water depth of 1,208 m (3,963 ft).
The discovery was confirmed by gas detector response and logging carried out in the reservoir at a depth of 2,008 m (6,588 ft), according to the company.
It is not year clear whether the find will be developed as a future subsea tieback to Golfinho or whether further appraisals will be drilled to better define the reserves size and conclude if it contains enough oil to be considered as a commercial stand-alone project.
Petrobras is the operator of the consortium with a 70% stake, with its partner being IBV Brasil (30%).
The consortium will continue exploring the block and intends to submit a proposed assessment plan to the National Petroleum Agency with the aim of delimiting the accumulation discovered and estimating reservoir volumes and productivity, Petrobras added.
