Brazil’s state-owned Petrobras has unveiled two new discoveries in its 100%-owned Caratinga field, about 106 kilometres off Rio de Janeiro. The Carimbé.or 6-CRT-43-RJS well drilled in 1027 metres of water detected oil in both pre-salt and post-salt areas. Oil was found in the post-salt Albian age carbonatic reservoirs intersected at a well depth of 3950 metres. Preliminary estimates indicate recoverable volumes of about 105 million barrels of oil equivalent.
A light oil accumulation was also found in the pre-salt Aptian age carbonate reservoirs at a well depth of 4275 metres. The pre-salt oil find appears to be an extension of the accumulation detected by the BR-63A 6-RJS well in Barracuda field. Petrobras said the extension, if proven, would lift the combined recoverable oil reserves to 360 million barrels of oil equivalent, up from the previous 40 million boe reserve estimate for the previous Barracuda find.
Flow tests will be run to assess the productivity of the reservoirs. Petrobras is considering tying the wells to the nearby P-46 platform in the Caratinga field for future production.
