Brazil’s state controlled oil company Petrobras announced that a combined domestic and foreign oil and natural gas output in March stood at an average 2,599,969 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). Output in Brazil averaged 2,346,477 boed and foreign output stood at 253,492 boed.
Of total domestic output, oil amounted to 1,993,222 barrels/day and natural gas 56.163 million m3/day. In foreign fields, average oil production reached 151,077 barrels/day and natural gas 17.4 million m3/day.
Maintenance shutdowns on platforms P-51 in Marlim Sul field, P-57 in Jubarte, and FPSO Brazil in Roncador, as well as the shutdown of the Campos Basin Frade field operated by Chevron, cut domestic output by 105,000 barrels/day, amounting to 5% of last month’s figure (2,455,636 boed).
In the highlights for March Petrobras announced the extended well test (EWT) commenced in the Campos Basin post-salt layer in Olivia field, between the Pampo and Espadarte fields. The reserves in this area were discovered after drilling well 3-RJS-670 in May 2010, and recoverable volumes are estimated at 246 million barrels.
In foreign operations, the main highlight was production startup in the Cascade field on FPSO BW Pioneer, moored some 250 km off the coast of Louisiana in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, at a world record-breaking water depth of 2500 meters. Petrobras is the first company to deploy a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, May 7, 2012