Chevron Corporation last night reiterated that its efforts to respond to oil seeps and a subsequent sheen near the Chevron- operated Frade project, offshore Brazil have been successful.
Since receiving approval from the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) late Sunday, Chevron Brazil immediately commenced plugging and abandonment activities on an appraisal well within the Frade field which was suspected to be contributing to oil being expressed through seep lines located on the ocean floor.
Chevron Brazil said that the amount of oil observed coming from nearby seep lines on the ocean floor has decreased significantly due to successful well control operations. Chevron Brazil said it will continue to monitor the situation during the plugging and abandonment process in the coming days, which will culminate in the final cementing of the well.
Chevron’s current estimates continue to place the sheen volume around the approximate range previously stated of 400 – 650 barrels (64 – 104 cubic meters). Chevron Brazil is working a fleet of 17 vessels. There are currently up to eight vessels working at the sheen with six vessels working in pairs to contain and recover the oil near the head of the sheen and two boats working on mechanical dispersion toward the tail of the sheen.
In parallel, the company said it would continue to coordinate and deploy considerable resources to help control the oil sheen which is located about 120 kilometers offshore and moving in a south easterly direction away from the Brazilian coast. The Frade project is located 370 kilometers (230 miles) offshore north east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in water depths of approximately 1200 meters (3800 feet).
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff , November 16, 2011; Image: Chevron