Brazil: Fourth Iara pre-salt well shows “excellent characteristics”

Brazil oil giant Petrobras has announced it has completed the drilling and formation test of the fourth exploratory well at the Iara area, block BM-S-11, in the Santos Basin pre-salt, strengthening the potential of recoverable light oil.

“The results of this well 3-RJS-706 (3-BRSA-1132-RJS) have confirmed the discovery of good quality oil (28 API) announced on 5 March,” Petrobras said in a written statement.

The carbonate reservoirs, which start at a depth of 5,260 meters, have shown “excellent porosity and permeability” and “confirmed excellent productivity of the reservoirs”, with better characteristics than those found in the discovery well (1-RJS-656, Iara).

The well is located 226 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, 6 km west of the discovery well, at a water depth of 2,197 meters

The consortium will proceed with the activities outlined in the evaluation plan approved by Brazil’s oil and gas regulator ANP.

Well 3-RJS-715D (3-BRSA-1181D-RJS) is currently being drilled in the centre of the evaluation plan area of Iara.

Petrobras is the operator of the consortium (65 per cent) in partnership with BG E&P Brasil (25 per cent) and Petrogal Brasil (10 per cent).