By Phaedra Friend Troy
Offshore Brazil, Petrobras has discovered a massive amount of light oil in the Piranema concession of the Sergipe Basin. A post-salt discovery, the reservoir is estimated to hold 15 million barrels of economically recoverable oil.
Drilled in waters measuring 800 meters deep, discovery well 3-PRM-12-SES encountered light oil at a total depth of 2,693 meters in the sandstone reservoir. The well is located in the northern part of the Piranema concession, approximately 28 kilometers from the coast of the Brazilian state of Sergipe.
Initial tests show good-quality light oil with an API of 44 degrees, and further evaluation of the reservoir is ongoing.
Most likely the 3-PRM-12-SES well will be developed as a subsea tieback to the existing production platform operating on the Piranema field. Through the PANOLEO strategy, Petrobras has been ramping up exploration activities nearby existing infrastructure in an effort to increase production both economically and quickly.