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2023
Sep 2023: Petrobras (operator, 38.6%) announced arrival of FPSO Sepetiba, for the Mero field in the Libra Block, Santos Basin. It will start production by the end of 2023. The FPSO is capable of producing up to 180,000 bbls of oil per day and 4.4 bcm of gas a year. It is the 2nd FPSO (after the Pioneiro de Libra) out of 4 planned with a total capacity of 720,000 bbls per day. Mero is the third largest field in Brazil, after Tupi and Búzios.
Mar 2023: Karoon (100%) reports the PAT-2 well in the Patola field in the BM-S-40 license has come onstream at a rate of up to 14,000 bbls of oil per day tied to the Cidade de Itajaí FPSO. Production from a 2nd well, PAT-1, will start soon.
2022
Oct 2022: Petrobras (80%, operator) and CNOOC (10%) report that wildcat well 1-BRSA-1381-SPS (Curacao), in the Pre-salt section in the SW of the Santos Basin is an oil discovery. The discovery is in the Aram Block, 240 kms from Santos in São Paulo state in a water depth of 1905m.
Oct 2022: Petrobras (operator, 51.9%), TotalEnergies (19.2%), QatarEnergy (14.4%) and Petronas (14.4%) made an oil discovery in the co-participated area of Sépia in well 4-BRSA-1386D-RJS (Pedunculo) in the NW part of the Sépia oil field. The water depth is 2,197m. The Sépia shared reservoir currently produces 170,000 bbls of oil per day.
Oct 2022: Equinor’s Peregrino C platform has produced its 1st oil. Phase 2 adds 250-300 mm bbls of oil. It consists of a new platform tied in to the Peregrino FPSO. Located in the Campos Basin, the Peregrino field started production in 2011 but suspended in 2020. Production resumed in July 2022.
Jul 2022: Equinor (operator, 60%) and Sinochem (40%) have restarted the Peregrino field, in Campos Basin licences BM-C-7 and BM-C-47, ahead of Phase II startup, expected in Q3 this year. Production was suspended in 2020 and Equinor has conducted maintenance, upgrades and repairs on the FPSO and installed a new platform, Peregrino C, part of the Peregrino Phase II.
May 2022: Shell announced the start of production of the FPSO Guanabara (aka Mero 1) in the Mero field, Santos Basin. The FPSO has an installed capacity of 180,000 bbls of oil per day and 4.4 bcm a year of gas with 6 producing wells and seven injector wells in a water depth of up to 1,930m. Mero will receive three more FPSOs between 2023 and 2025.
Apr 2022: Petrobras (operator, 75%) and Equinor (25%) started production from the first 2 wells of the IOR project at the Roncador field, the 5th largest producing asset in Brazil in production since 1999. The wells are the 1st of a series of 18 that will add a combined 20,000 bbls oil equivalent per day.
Apr 2022: The National Petroleum Agency, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) held the public bidding session of the 3rd Cycle of Open Acreage, auctioning 59 exploration blocks in 6 basins to a total of 13 companies. The main awards were of 6 exploration blocks to Shell and 2 to TotalEnergies in the Santos basin.
Apr 2022: Petrobras (operator, 50%) and BP (50%) made an oil discovery in well 1-BRSA-1383A-RJS in the south of the pre-salt Campos Basin within the Alto de Cabo Frio Central block. The well is at a water depth of 1,833m.
2021
Nov 2021: Petrobras (operator, 80%) and CNODC (20%) identified hydrocarbons in the Santos Basin pre-salt, in the BRSA-1381-SPS (Curaçao) well in the Aram block at a water depth of 1,905m. The block was acquired in March 2020 in the 6th Bidding Round of the ANP.
Oct 2021: PetroRio announced the start of production from the TBMT-10H well, in the Tubarao Martelo field at 3,800 bbls per day. The well was drilled in 2013 and connection to the Bravo FPSO has been completed.
Sep 2021: Enauta reports that 1 of 3 wells on the Atlanta field off Brazil has stopped producing again due to pump failure reducing the field to 14,000 bbls of oil per day. Production should resume in Q1 2022. This on;y 2 weeks since full operations were resumed. The field uses the FPSO Petrojarl I.
Aug 2021: Petrobras (operator, 96.7%) and Petrogal (2.4%) started oil and gas production through the FPSO Carioca, the 1st in the Sépia and Sépia Leste fields field in the Santos Basin pre-salt, 200 kms off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, in water depths of 2,200m. The project will use 7 producing wells and 4 injection wells. The fields lie in the Transfer of Rights and BM-S-24 areas.
Jun 2021: Karoon (operator, 100%) will develop the Patola field in the BM-S-40 licence in the Santos Basin. Adjacent to the Baúna and Piracaba fields, it will be tied back to the Baúna FPSO (Cidade de Itajaí) with 2 subsea wells producing at a total initial rate of 10,000 bbls per day from Q1 2023.
May 2021: PetroRio struck oil while drilling the US$11mm POL-K well into the Eocene reservoir at the Polvo field (following POL-L in 2020). The field’s production has reached 12,000 bbls per day.
Apr 2021: Petrobras (operator, 40%), Shell (20%), Total (20%), CNODC (10%), CNOOC (10%) delayed 1st production from the Mero 1 field (Libra Block), through the FPSO Guanabara to Q1 2022. Mero lies in the Santos Basin pre-salt area and the FPSO has a processing capacity of 180,000 bbls of oil per day.
Jan 2021: Petrobras (operator, 50%) and ExxonMobil (50%) have found hydrocarbons in the Urissane (BRSA-1377-RJS) exploration well in the offshore pre-salt Campos Basin, block C-M-411, Rio de Janeiro state.The well has a water depth of 2,950m.
2020
Oct 2020: Petrobras postponed the Parque das Baleias (Whale Park) project in the Campos basin (Espirito Santo State) to 2024. It involvies relocation of wells between platforms and a new FPSO within the cluster of 7 deep-water oil and gas fields (Jubarte, Baleia Azul, Baleia Franca, Baleia Anã, Cachalote, Caxaréu, and Pirambú) with pre-salt and post-salt reservoirs.
Sep 2020: Petrobras (operator, 30%), ExxonMobil (40%) and Equinor (30%) discovered oil in well 1-BRSA-1376D-RJS (Naru), Block C-M-65, in a pre-salt carbonate reservoir of the southern Campos Basin. Water depth is 2,892m. Block C-M-657 was acquired in 2018, in the 15th ANP Bidding Round.
Sep 2020: The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) approved the change in the name of the Lula field to the Tupi field. The other areas that make up the Tupi field have also had their names altered. Petrobras (operator, 65%) partners Shell (25%) and Petrogal (10%) in the BM-S-11 concession.
Aug 2020: Petrobras and partners approved investment in Mero 3 in the Libra block, Santos Basin. The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias will have a liquid treatment capacity of 180,000 bbls per day and start up in 2024. Mero 1 is expected in 2021 and Mero 2, in 2023. The field has been in pre-production since 2017 through the 50,000 bbl per day Pioneiro de Libra FPSO.
Aug 2020: Petrobras has approved the hibernation of the Merluza platform (PMLZ-1) in the shallow-water Santos Basin. It has operated since 1993 and also takes gas and condensate from the Lagosta field. Petrobras started the opportunity disclosure stage for the sale of its 100% interest in the Merluza and Lagosta fields in late February.
Jun 2020: Petrobras reached a production record at the Búzios field in the Santos Basin pre-salt. Platforms P74, P-75, P-76, and P-77 delivered 664,000 bbls of oil per day plus gas. Búzios, discovered in 2010, is the largest deepwater oil field in the world.
Jun 2020: Petrobras (operator, 89.257%), Shell Brasil (4.258%), Total (3.832%), Petrogal (1.703%) and PPSA (0.950%) started production of oil and gas from the Atapu and Oeste de Atapu pre-salt fields (Iara complex) through platform P-70. It is a 5th FPSO in the series and is in 2,300m of water connecting 8 producers and 8 injectors.
May 2020: Petrobras completed the sale of 7 onshore fields in the Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte, to SPE 3R Petroleum. The fields comprise the Macau Cluster (Aratum, Macau, Serra, Salina Cristal, Lagoa Aroeira, Porto Carão and Sanhaçu) currently producing 5,000 bbls of oil equivalent per day.
May 2020: Petrobras has made 2 new oil finds in offshore field appraisals. In the Southeast area of the Búzios field in the Santos Basin pre-salt, a well at a water depth of 2,108m identified 208m of reservoir. In the Albacora field, inside the Plano de Avaliação de Descoberta (PAD) in the Campos Basin pre-salt, a well at a water depth of 450m identified 214m of reservoir.
Apr 2020: Petrobras will halt operations at 62 platforms in shallow water fields in the Campos, Sergipe, Potiguar, and Ceará basins due to COVID-19 and the low oil price. These platforms are not commercial at low oil prices.
Apr 2020: Petrobras has encountered post-salt oil in the Natator exploration well on the Sudoeste de Tartaruga Verde block in the Campos Basin in water depths of 1,080m.
Apr 2020: Petro-Victory announced discovery of oil at the 1-VID-1-ES (Vida) well in Block ES-T-487, onshore Espírito Santo Basin in Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The oil discovery de-risks other Cretaceous prospects on this and neighbouring licenses. The next well is Sintonia on ES-T-441.
Apr 2020: ANP has temporarily suspended the 17th Bidding Round for the award of offshore exploration and production acreage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apr 2020: Petrobras (operator, 30%) with ExxonMobil (28%), Equinor (28%) and Petrogas (14%) found oil in the Araucária well, the 1st in the Uirapuru block in the Santos Basin pre-salt. It was drilled in a water depth of 1,995 m. The block, acquired in the 4th Round in 2018, is in the so-called Pre-salt Polygon.
Mar 2020: Petrobras will reduce planned investments in 2020 through postponement of exploration activities, interconnection of wells, and construction of production and refining facilities. It will also mothball shallow water platforms and overall reduce output by around 200,000 bbls.
Feb 2020: PetroRio will acquire the OSX-3 FPSO and 80% of the Tubarão Martelo field (TBMT). This will allow tieback by mid 2021 of TBMT and the Polvo field, significantly reducing overall costs. The TBMT field reached its peak in 2014 (at 14,000 bbls of oil per day) after the OSX-3 was delivered in 2012. Both fields will be revitalised.
Jan 2020: Equinor (operator, 40%), ExxonMobil (40%) and Petrogal (20%) have entered into FEED contracts for phase 1 of the Bacalhau (formerly Carcará) area. Contractors have been selected for both SURF and FPSO. It will be the largest FPSO in Brazil with a production capacity of 220,000 bbls per day.
2019
Nov 2019: Petrobras (operator, 42.5%), with Shell (25%), Total (22.5%), and Petrogal (10%), started oil and gas production at the P-68 FPSO. It lies in a water depth of 2,280m within the BM-S-11A (Iara license) and taps the Berbigão and Sururu fields in the pre-salt Santos Basin. Following P-67 in the Lula field, and P-76 and P-77 in the Buzios field, it is the 4th unit to start up in 2019. It has a capacity to process up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day from 10 production wells and seven injector wells.
Nov 2019: The Transfer of Rights round has given gave Petrobras the Búzios and Itapu blocks. However other companies, except for CNOOC and CNPC with minor stakes in Búzios, did not participate.
Oct 2019: ANP reports that the 16th bid round has awarded 12 of the 36 offshore blocks at a record US$2.2 bn in signature bonuses. Eleven companies from 9 countries made offers. Ten acquired blocks including operators, Petrobras, Total, Shell, ExxonMobil, Petronas, Repsol, Chevron and BP. Contracts will be signed in Feb 2020.
Sep 2019: PetroRio has begun Phase 3 of its revitalization of the Polvo field. This follows Phase 1 in Q1 2016 and Phase 2 in 2018. For Phase 3, 22 prospects were mapped and 4 have been selected for drilling.
Jun 2019: Petrobras (operator, 40%), Total (20%), Shell (20%), CNOOC (10%) and CNPC (10%) will continue to develop the 4bn bbl Mero field in the northwest of the pre-salt Libra block. Production of the field started in 2017 with an EPS (Pioneiro de Libra FPSO). Mero 1 will start-up in 2021, then Mero 2 in 2022, followed by 2 more FPSOs. Peak production is estimated at over 600,000 bbls per day.
May 2019: Petrobras awarded McDermott an EPCI contract for the first phase of the Sepia field project in 2,165m of water. The pre-salt field is in Block BM-S-24 in the Santos Basin. First oil is planned for 2021 from 7 wells (3 producers and 4 injectors) linked to the Carioca FPSO.
Mar 2019: ANP approved pre-announcement of the 16th Round of Bids for Blocks to be held in October. It will offer 36 exploration blocks in 5 basins (Campos, Camamu-Almada, Jacuípe, Pernambuco-Paraíba and Santos). Signing of contracts is scheduled for February 2020.
Mar 2019: Petrobras has started production of oil and natural gas at P-77, the 4th platform to be put into production in the pre-salt Búzios field of the Santos Basin. It has a capacity to process up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day and compress over 2 bcm of gas a year.
Feb 2019: Petrobras started production of oil and gas from the P-76 FPSO, the third platform in the Búzios field in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin. It has a capacity to process up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day and compress over 2 bcm of gas a year. Another platform, P-77, is also expected to start-up in 2019.
Feb 2019: Petrobras (operator, 65%) started production from the Lula Norte area in the Santos Basin into the P-67 FPSO from 9 wells. It is the 9th unit installed in the BM-S-11 block with a capacity to process 150,000 bbls of oil per day and compress 2 bcm a year of gas at a water depth of 2,130m. Shell (25%) and Petrogal (10%) are partners.
2018
Nov 2018: Petrobras has begun oil production at its P-75 platform in the presalt Buzios-2 field in the Santos Basin. The FPSO will be able to produce up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day and 2 bcm a year of gas. P-75 is the fourth platform to start production following FPSO Cidade Campos dos Goytacazes in the Tartaruga Verde Field, P-69 in the Lula Field and P-74 in the Buzios Field.
Oct 2018: Production started from the Lula Extremo Sul area in the Santos Basin via the P-69 FPSO in a water depth of 2,150m. Capacity is 150,000 bbls of oil and 6 mmcm of gas per day through 8 producing wells, with 7 injection wells. Lula is the largest producing field in the country in the BM-S-11 concession. Petrobras is operator (65%) with Shell (25%) and Petrogal (10%).
Sep 2018: The 5th Production Sharing Round had all its 4 deep water, pre-salt blocks (Saturno, Tita, Pau-Brasil and Sudoeste de Tartaruga Verde) acquired by Shell, ExxonMobil, BP and Petrobras respectively.
Jun 2018: Petrobras announced start of production at the Tartaruga Verde field using the FPSO Cidade de Campos dos Goytacazes in a water depth of 765 m. Tartaruga Verde lies in the post-salt southern Campos basin and consists of 2 reservoirs, Verde (Petrobras, 100%) and Mestiça (Petrobras, 69.35%).
May 2018: QGEP has started production from its Atlanta offshore field in water depths of 1,500m in Block BS-4 in the Santos Basin using an EPS through the Petrojarl 1 FPSO. The field is expected to reach 20,000 bbls of oil per day from two wells. This phase will lead to establishment of the full development system with production up to 75,000 bbls per day .
Apr 2018: Petrobras started production from the Buzios field in the pre-salt Santos Basin through the P-74 FPSO, located 200 kms off the State of Rio de Janeiro at a water depth of around 1,900m. It is the 13th platform in the pre-salt and is connected to 9 wells. Four more units will be installed up to 2021.
Mar 2018: Exxon Mobil were awarded 8 blocks out of 22 (6 as operator) in Brazil’s latest Licensing Round along with Petrobras and Qatar Petroleum in the Campos Basin. Chevron, Repsol, Shell, BP and Statoil were also awarded offshore blocks in the Round in which bids exceeded expectations despite removal of 2 of the most attractive blocks in the pre-salt area of the Santos basin.
2017
Nov 2017: Petrobras (operator, 40%), with Total (20%), Shell (20%), CNOOC (10%) and CNPC (10%), announced first oil from the Libra field in ultra-deep waters 180 kms offshore of Rio de Janeiro, in the pre-salt Santos Basin. Oil is flowing into the Pioneiro de Libra FPSO with a capacity of 50,000 bbls. This is being used as an EPS to optimize subsequent development with a larger FPSO.
Sep 2017: The 14th Round for oil and gas exploration had the largest signature bonus in history although only 37 blocks were acquired out of 287 available. In total, 20 companies from 8 countries participated, of which 17 acquired blocks in 8 sedimentary basins (Parnaíba, Potiguar, Santos, Recôncavo, Paraná, Espírito Santo, Sergipe-Alagoas and Campos).
Aug 2017: Oil production from the Libra area has been delayed until October due to a technical problem connecting the extended production test to the FPSO. Initially 30,000 bbls of oil per day is planned. Petrobras is operator with Shell, Total, CNPC and CNOOC.
Aug 2017: Petrobras has made an oil discovery in the Poraque Alto well in the Campos Basin pre-salt layer under the Marlim Sul field; the first in the area. The well is located 115 kms off the coast of Rio de Janeiro State at 1,107m water depth.
May 2017: Shell (BG) (25%) and partners, Petrobras (operator, 65%) and Galp (Petrogal) (10%) announce that production has started at FPSO P-66 in the deep water, pre-salt, Lula South field. It is the first in a series of standardized vessels to begin production within the BM-S-11 block
2016
Dec 2016: Petrobras has started to pump oil and natural gas from the Lapa subsalt field in the BM-S-9 licence in the Santos basin in 2,140m of water. FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba can process up to 100,000 bbls of oil per day. Petrobras is operator with BG, a subsidiary of Shell, and Repsol Sinopec.
Jul 2016: Petrobras has connected its first production well on the Lula field in BM-S-11 to the FPSO Cidade de Saquarema. This is the tenth major production system operating in the pre-salt area and will include 18 wells. The vessel has a processing capacity of up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day in a water depth of 2200m. Petrobras is operator (65%) with BG, now Shell (25%) and Petrogal (10%).
Jul 2016: Petrobras has put up for sale the rights to 9 shallow water concessions in the states of Sergipe and Ceara which produce an average 13,000 bbls of oil per day.
Jun 2016: The Libra Consortium finished the 7th well in the Libra block, drilling the thickest net pay of 27º API oil ever discovered (410 m). The 8th well is currently being drilled. The Consortium comprises Petrobras (operator, 40%), Shell (20%), Total (20%), CNPC (10%) and CNOOC (10%).
Mar 2016: Shell (operator, 50%) announced start-up of phase 3 of the deepwater Parque das Conchas (BC-10) oil development in the Campos basin. It comprises 5 producing wells in two fields (Massa and O-South) and two injection wells in water depths greater than 1,780 m. They are tied back to the FPSO Espirito Santo. Partners are ONGC (27%) and QPI (23%).
Mar 2016: Petrobras announced start-up of the EPS in the Sépia field (former Nordeste de Tupi) in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin. The FPSO Cidade de São Vicente will produce around 20,000 bbls of oil per day during a 180 day test period from 1 well in 2,200m of water.
Feb 2016: Petrobras has started production into the FPSO Cidade de Maricá over the Lula field, from the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin. The vessel is 270 kms from the coast at a water depth of 2,120m. It has a production capacity of up to 150,000 bbls of oil per day. The pre-salt layer of the Santos and Campos basins now accounts for 35% of Brazil’s oil production.
2015
Nov 2015: Petrobras (operator, 40%) confirmed oil with the Pitu North-1 well in the Pitu area, Potiguar Basin, in 1,844 m of water, drilled as part of the Pitu Discovery Evaluation Plan. Pitu was first drilled in 2013. Partenrs in the BM-POT-17 concession are BP (40%) and Petrogal (20%).
Nov 2015: Petrobras (operator, 80%) with (20%) filed a declaration of commerciality for the Sepia Leste pre-salt field in the NW of the Jupiter Discovery Evaluation Plan (PAD) in Block BM-S-24 in a water depth of 2,165m. The BM-S-24 consortium and Petrobras are discussing unitization with the larger, connected, Sepia field. Start-up is scheduled for 2019.
Oct 2015: Brazil’s 13th licensing round offered 266 blocks, but sold only 2 offshore and 35 onshore. Petrobras did not to take part for the first time and majors such as Shell, Exxon, BP, Statoil, Rosneft and CNOOC di d not bid. Only 17 companies submitted bids, 11 from Brazil. The two offshore blocks in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin went to QGEP.
Aug 2015: BG announced first oil from the Cidade de Itaguaí FPSOon from the Iracema Norte area of the Lula field in the BM-S-11 block. The vessel is moored in 2,220m of water. BG has 25% interest along with Petrobras (operator, 65%) and Petrogal Brasil (10%).
Jun 2015: ANP will offer 185 onshore and 84 offshore blocks in its 13th bidding round scheduled for October 2015. Onshore it will offer 7 in the the Amazonas basin, 22 in Parnaíba, 71 in Potiguar and 85 in Reconcavo. Offshore it will offer 10 in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin, 4 in Jacuípe, 9 in Camamu-Almada, 7 in Espirito Santo Basin, 3 in Campos and 51 in Pelotas.
May 2015: Petrobras (operator, 66%), Galp (14%), QGEP (10%) and Barra (10%) confirmed the giant Carcará oil field in BM-S-8 block, discovered in 2012, is very large with the drilling of the 3-SPS-105 well in Carcará North. This is connected to the 400m oil column identified in Carcará.
Mar 2015: Petrobras announced start-up of TLP P-61 in the Papa Terra field in the south Campos basin ( water depth 1,200m) and tied back to FPSO P-63, which came onstream in 2013. There are 5 production and 6 injection wells connected to P-63 and 13 dry tree wells will be connected to P-61. The heavy oil field is owned by Petrobras (operator, 62.5%) and Chevron (37.5%).
Mar 2015: Petrobras announced the start-up of the EPS (using the FPSO Dynamic Producer) at the Búzios Field in the Santos Basin in up to 2,100m of water in the Transfer of Rights area. Production will be limited to 15,000 bbls of oil per day for 6 months. The field’s permanent production system will be platform P-74.
Mar 2015: Statoil and Sinochem have submitted the PoD for Peregrino Phase II entailing a new WH platform and drilling rig (Platform C) tied-back to the existing FPSO. It adds 250 mm bbls to the Peregrino field with an investment of US$3.5 bn and is expected to start production at the end of the decade. A total of 21 wells, including 6 water injectors are planned.
Feb 2015: Petrobras (operator, 65%) has announced the discovery of a new heavy oil accumulation (Basilisco) in concession BM-C-35 (exploratory block C-M-535) in the Campos Basin post-salt. The well is at a water depth of 2,214m. BP (35%) is the other partner.
Jan 2015: Petrobras (operator, 60%) and IBV Brasil (Videocon and Bharat Petroleum, 40%) have found more light oil in the Sergipe Basin off the northeast coast in the Farfan prospect, BM-SEAL-11 block. This block is the biggest new oil frontier in Brazil since discoveries in the Santos Basin in 2007. Production is planned for 2018 but will probably be delayed.
2014
Nov 2014: BG announced start-up of the Cidade de Ilhabela FPSO, the second on the Sapinhoa field in Block BM-S-9 in the pre-salt Santos Basin. The FPSO can process 150,000 bbls of oil per day. The Cidade de Sao Paulo FSPO started producing in Jan 2013 and is now at plateau production.BG has 30% with Petrobras (operator, 45%) and Repsol Sinopec (25%).
Oct 2014: Petrobras has found gas and condensate in the Lontra well at a water depth of 1,319m within the Espírito Santo Basin. The well is 81 kms offshore Espírito Santo state in the Golfinho concession area. Petrobras is the operator with 100%.
Oct 2014: Cidade de Mangaratiba FPSO has begun operating in the Santos Basin pre-salt Iracema Sul area in the Lula field on Block BM-S-11. The FPSO is at a depth of 2,200m and will process up to 150 ,000 bbls of oil per day and 3 bcm of gas a year including reinjected gas. It will be connected to 8 production and 8 injection wells with production peaking in 2016.
Oct 2014: Petrobras has announced the discovery of gas in an Espirito Santo Basin post-salt reservoir. The well is called Tanganika and is at a water depth of 1,043 m in the Malombe Discovery Evaluation Plan (PAD). Petrobras (89.89%) partners Repsol Sinopec (11.11%).
Sep 2014: Petrobras will deploy 13 FPSOs in the pre-salt Santos Basin by 2017 in Blocks BM-S-9, BM-S-11 and in the Cessao Onerosa region. They will cost over US$50 bn.The first of these will be the Cidade de Ilhabela in the Sapinhoa North field, to start operations later in 2014.
Aug 2014: Petrobras (operator, 100%) has tested oil and gas in the second appraisal well drilled in the Moita Bonita field in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin in concession BM-SEAL-10. Moita Bonita was discovered in 2012 at a water depth of 2,775m.
Aug 2014: Petrobras has confirmed an extension of the Jupiter discovery in the Santos Basin pre-salt block BM-S-24 after drilling the Apollonia well in a water depth of 2,183m; the fourth well in the Jupiter area. The block is operated by Petrobras (80%) with Petrogal Brasil (20%).
Jul 2014: Oleo e Gas Participaçoes (OGpar), formerly known as OGX, has started production from the third well in the Tubarao Martelo field in the Campos basin and the fourth well is due to start soon using FPSO OSX-3. The expansion of the Tubarao Martelo field project is critical to the financial reorganization of the company.
Jun 2014: Petrobras has started the Extended Well Test (EWT) in the Iara evaluation area on block BM-S-11, 300 kms off the coast at a water depth of 2200m. The test is on well 3-BRSA-1132-RJS (RJS-706) in the western section of the Iara Evaluation Plan using the FPSO Dynamic Producer. Initial production is 29,000 bbls of oil per day. Petrobras is operator (65%) along with BG (25%) and Petrogal (10%).
May 2014: Petrobras has started-up FPSO P-62 in the Roncador field at a water depth of 1,600m in the Campos Basin. P-62 is part of the Module 4 project with 22 wells (14 production and 8 injection) and a capacity to process up to 180,000 bbls of oil and 6 mm cm of gas per day. Oil will be transported by shuttle tanker and gas via pipeline. P-62 will operate in conjunction with P-52, P-54 and P-55.
May 2014: Petrobras has announced that the pre-salt Entorno de Iara area contains at least 5bn bbls of oil after a third well was drilled. Lying in around 2200m of water off Rio de Janeiro, the area includes the Franco field. Petrobras bought rights to this region from the government as part of a share sale.
Apr 2014: McDermott has installed the P-61 Tension Leg Wellhead Platform on the Papa Terra field for Petrobras and Chevron. This is the first dry tree riser TLP in Brazil and the first TLP in South America.
Mar 2014: Petrobras has announced that platform P-58 has started operation off Espirito Santo state in the Campos Basin. P-58 is part of the North project of Parque das Baleias, which includes production from the Baleia Franca, Cachalote, Jubarte, Baleia Azul and Baleia Ana fields at a water depth of 1,400m. A total of 15 production wells (8 pre-salt and 7 post-salt) plus 9 injection wells will be connected.
Feb 2014: QGEP, operator with 30%, along with OGX (40%) and Barra Energia (30%) announced results of the first horizontal well for the Early Production System (EPS) on the Atlanta Field in Block BS-4. Atlanta is a post-salt heavy oil field in the Santos Basin in water depths of 1,500m. Potential well production rates may reach 12,000 bbls per day. QGEP will launch bidding for FPSOs and first oil expected in early 2016.
Jan 2014: Petrobras (40%), Shell (20%), Total (20%), CNOOC (10%) and CNPC (10%), with Pré-Sal Petróleo, approved the 2014 US$500mm plan for the Libra oilfield. Activities include seismic reprocessing, drilling 2 wells and studies for a seismic survey and, at the end of 2016, an extended well test. Libra, discovered in 2010, lies in ultra deep waters of the Santos Basin pre-salt.
Jan 2014: Petrobras has started production from its P-55 platform in the Roncador field, linked to 11 oil producing wells in the Campos Basin. P-55 is expected to process 180,000 bbls of oil per day and compress 2.2 bcm of gas each year. Output from Roncador has been declining. The 52,000-tonne P-55 is the largest semi-submersible platform built in Brazil.
2013
Dec 2013: Petrobras (45%), operator of Block BM-S-9 in the pre-salt Santos Basin, and its partners BG (30%) and Repsol Sinopec (25%) have submitted a Declaration of Commerciality to the ANP for the oil and gas accumulations in the Carioca area. The field will now be named Lapa. The field is located 270 kms off the coast of Sao Paulo state in water depths of 2,140m.
Dec 2013: Petrobras has announced that the appraisal well drilled on concession BM-SEAL-10 in ultra-deep waters (2,800m) of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin has confirmed the extension of the Moita Bonita gas and light oil discovery made in 2012. Petrobras is the operator of BM-SEAL-10 with 100%. It owns 75% of the adjoining BM-SEAL-4 with ONGC (25%).
Dec 2013: Petroleo e Gas (formerly OGX) and Petronas announced the start of production at the Tubarao Martelo field in blocks BM-C-39 and BM-C-40, in the Campos Basin. Production is through the OSX-3 FPSO. Installation of the WHP-2 platform and production from 2 more wells begin in 2014. Tubarao Martelo is planned to reach a peak production of 30,000 bbls per day.
Dec 2013: Petrobras has acquired 49 blocks, out of the 50 for which it presented offers in the 12th Bidding Round. Among the blocks, 22 were in partnership with 16 operated by Petrobras and 6 by partners. Of the frontier areas Petrobras has invested primarily in the Paraná and Acre-Madre de Dios basins with a focus on natural gas.
Nov 2013: The Franco field in the Santos basin could have as much oil as the Libra field reports the oil regulator ANP. Petrobras expects to begin oil production at the Franco field in 2016. Libra is not due to enter production until 2020.
Nov 2013: Petrobras (operator, 62.5%) and Chevron (37.5%) have started oil production from Papa-Terra’s FPSO. Located 110 kms southeast of Rio de Janeiro at a water depth of 1,190m in the southern Campos Basin, Papa-Terra is a heavy oil development within Block BC-20. Discovered in 2003, it features an FPSO and will have the first TLP in Brazil operational in 2014.
Oct 2013: Petrobras (operator, 40%), Shell (20%), Total (20%), CNPC (10%) and CNOOC (10%) have won a 35-year PSC to develop the Libra pre-salt oil field in the Santos Basin in water depths of just under 2000m. Libra is one of the largest deep water oil accumulations in the world estimated to contain around 10 bn bbls.
Oct 2013: Petrobras has discovered oil and gas in the Bracuhy well at a water depth of 2,251m in block BM-S-24, Santos Basin pre-salt. This is the third well drilled in the Jupiter area and lies 26 kms NE of the original discovery well drilled in 2007. Petrobras is operator with 80% along with Petrogal Brasil (20%).
Oct 2013: Shell, operator with 50%, Petrobras (35%) and ONGC (15%) have begun production from phase 2 of the Parque das Conchas (BC-10) project tied back to the Espirito Santo FPSO. Phase 1 began in 2009 with the Abalone and Ostra fields and the Argonauta B-West reservoir. Peak production was 90,000 bbls per day in 2010. Phase 2 connected a fourth reservoir, Argonauta O-North. Phase 3 will include installation of infrastructure at the Massa and Argonauta O-South reservoirs.
Sep 2013: Petrobras says it will produce 100,000 bbls a day from its offshore Sergipe prospects by 2018. The company reports that drilling in the northeastern state of Sergipe by Petrobras and partners Bharat Petroleum and Videocon Industries in blocks SEAL 10 and 11 suggest the area holds more than 1 bn bbls of oil.
Aug 2013: Petrobras has confirmed the potential of the 2012 Muriu oil and gas discovery in the Sergipe basin. The appraisal well was drilled in 2432m of water in the BM-SEAL-10 concession 83 kms from the city of Aracaju in north-east Brazil.
Jul 2013: Shell will boost production with 2 deepwater projects at Parque das Conchas (BC-10) and the Bijupira/Salema fields. For BC-10, Phase 3 will include the installation of subsea infrastructure at the Massa and Argonauta O-South fields, tied back to the Espirito Santo FPSO. Phase 3 is expected to reach a peak production of 28,000 bbls per day. For Bijupira/Salema fields, a re-development includes 4 new production wells to increase production to 35,000 bbls per day in 2014.
Jul 2013: Petrobras has sold stakes in 5 blocks in the Potiguar basin in northeastern Brazil to BP. BP is hoping that discoveries off the coast of West Africa and French Guiana would be matched in Brazil. BP said it will take 30% stakes in 2 blocks; POT-M-663 and POT-M-760, and 40% stakes in 3; POT-M-665, POT-M-853 and POT-M-855.
Jul 2013: The ANP suggests that peak output at the offshore Libra pre-salt area in the Santos basin, 170 kms off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, should reach 1 mm bbls per day. An auction of the area is set for October in which PSCs will be offered.
Jun 2013: Petrobras has announced FPSO Cidade de Paraty went onstream in the Santos Basin Lula Nordeste pre-salt field at a water depth of 2,120m. It can process up to 120,000 bbls of oil per day (29 degree API) taken off by tankers and 1.8 bcm of gas per year piped to the Monteiro Lobato Gas Treatment Unit in Caraguatatuba through the Lula-Mexilhão pipeline. Another 7 production and 6 injection wells will be connected. Lula Nordeste is the second of 10 modules on the Lula field including the Iracema area. Block BM-S-11 is operated by Petrobras (65%) with BG (25%) and Petrogal (10%).
May 2013: Petrobras has acquired the most blocks offered in the 11th Bid Round held by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). Petrobras bought, whether on its own or in partnerships, 34 of the 289 blocks offered in the bid in the Foz do Amazonas, Espírito Santo and Barreirinhas Basins and especially in the Parnaíba Basin.
Feb 2013: Oil production at Petrobras fields in the pre-salt areas of the Campos and Santos basins has reached 300,000 bbls per day from 17 wells, 6 in Santos (43% of production) and 11 in Campos (57% of production). Output is from 8 different platforms, four of which (Lula, Baleia Azul, and 2 at Sapinhoa) produce exclusively from the pre-salt. Twelve more platforms are scheduled go onstream, all but one in Santos, up to 2016 and output is expected to exceed 1 mm bbls per day in 2017.
Feb 2013: Petrobras has started oil production from the Bauna field with the FPSO Cidade de Itajai in block BM-S-40, southern Santos Basin, at a water depth of 275m. Eleven wells (6 producers and 5 injectors) will be connected as part of the development of the Tiro (Bauna) and Sídon (Piracaba) accumulations. The FPSO can process up to 80,000 bbls of oil per day. Petrobras holds 100% of block BM-S-40. Petrobras has put 3 systems onstream this year already, including FPSO Cidade de Sao Paulo on Sapinhoa and FPSO Cidade de Sao Vicente on Sapinhoa Norte in February.
Jan 2013: BG Group announced the start of production at the Sapinhoa field four-and-a-half years after its discovery in block BM-S-9 in the pre-salt Santos Basin. The Cidade de Sao Paulo FPSO is the first unit deployed on the field and the second of 15 FPSO vessels planned in blocks BM-S-9 and BM-S-11. A second FPSO on the Lula field in block BM-S-11 will start-up later in 2013. These 2 units will increase processing capacity from 100,000 bbls of oil 340,000 bbls of oil per day.
2012
Nov 2012: Petrobras has contracted a floating production system to be used at the Iracema Norte field (Cernambi). The 150,000 bbl per day FPSO will receive tie-ins from 8 production and 8 injection wells in the BM-S-11 block. Production, 300 kms off Brazil in water depths of 2234 metres, is expected to begin in 2015. The Tupi-BV consortium on Block BM-S-11 is operated by Petrobras with 65%, along with BG Group (25%) and Petrogal (10%).
Oct 2012: Petrobras has drilled Carioca Norte in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin. Results confirm the presence of light oil at the Carioca structure, which had already been drilled by Carioca, Carioca Nordeste and Carioca Sela in block BM-S-9. It lies in ultra-deep waters at a depth of 2,152 m, 275 kms off the coast of São Paulo. The BM-S-9 consortium is operated by Petrobras (45%) with BG (30%) and Repsol Sinopec Brasil (25%).
Sep 2012: Brazil will hold a long-delayed 11th round of bidding for offshore oil and gas concessions in May 2013. A total of 174 blocks (UPDATE: 298 blocks reported in Jan 2013) will be auctioned in the round. The country’s last oil round concession bidding was held in Dec 2008. The government has also scheduled the first round of bidding for exploration of the country’s pre-salt offshore oil blocks for November 2013.
Sep 2012: Petrobras has announced the start of oil production at the Baleia Azul pre-salt field in the offshore Campos Basin. The Cidade de Anchieta FPSO is one of two new production systems that Petrobras will put into operation in 2012. It has also announced plans to bring Bauna and Piracaba fields online in October. Petrobras holds a 100% stake.
Aug 2012: Petrobas reported a pre-salt oil discovery success rate of nearly 80%. The company has drilled 67 wells in the pre-salt area and 20% have been dry. Petrobras's average oil discovery success rate in its drilling campaigns is 59% (world average 30%). (Note from Globalshift: of course success rates depend on the definition of success). Petrobras spends 4.5% of its investments outside Brazil.
South America
Excel files - histories and forecasts of production and wells in any category for all countries and regions
