The state-owned Brazilian energy heavyweight Petrobras $PETR3 (-1,16 %)
$PETR4 (-0,55 %)
has made a new oil discovery in the pre-salt area of its existing field off the coast of Brazil.
By drilling the 9-BUZ-99D-RJS well in the western region of the Búzios field in the Santos pre-salt basin, Petrobras was able to confirm the presence of oil in a new accumulation in a zone below the main reservoir.
The well is located 189 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro and was drilled at a water depth of 1,940 meters. Thanks to the tests carried out at a depth of 5,600 meters, the presence of oil was confirmed by electrical profiles.
Although the company emphasizes that these will be characterized later through laboratory analysis, the discovery is considered a confirmation of the pre-salt potential of the Búzios field. The partners intend to further analyze the results in order to proceed with activities in the area.
The consortium of the Búzios joint reservoir consists of Petrobras as operator (88.98% interest), CNOOC (7.34%) and CNPC (3.67%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA) as manager.
This oil discovery follows the start-up of the Almirante Tamandaré FPSO as part of the field's sixth production system, which is expected to help increase production to 1 million barrels of oil per day by the second half of 2025.