Petrobras discovers large volumes of light oil in the Espírito Santo pre-salt layer

Petrobras announces that it has completed the drilling of two new wells in the pre-salt layer off the coast of Espírito Santo and proved an expressive discovery of light oil (30 degrees API) in the area called Parque das Baleias. The recoverable volume of the discoveries, made in pre-salt reservoirs located underneath the Baleia Franca, Baleia Azul, and Jubarte heavy oil fields, is estimated between 1.5 and 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

The 6-BFR-1-ESS and 6-BAZ-1DB-ESS wells were drilled nearly 80 kilometers off the coast and five and six kilometers to the north and to the south, respectively, of discovery well 1-ESS-103A, located in the pre-salt section under the Jubarte heavy oil field, which has been producing, at a high flow, since last September.

In these two wells, the reservoirs were discovered under a layer of up to 700 meters of salt and at depths ranging from 1,348 and 1,426 meters from the water line. The reservoirs are located 4,200 to 4,800 meters below sea level and have oil-bearing porous thicknesses of 190 and 300 meters, proving the major potential of the discoveries.

So far, six wells have been drilled in the Espírito Santo pre-salt layer, all of which successfully. With the new discoveries, the total estimated volume of oil in the Parque das Baleias area, including the reservoirs located above and below the salt layer, already adds up to some 3.5 billion boe.
The excellent results achieved by these two drillings, the excellent Long Duration Test (LDT) responses obtained from pioneer well 1-ESS-103A, and the logistics facilities already installed and currently being installed in the area, led Petrobras to heighten the studies to accelerate pre-salt production at Espírito Santo.