Petrobras spud the second appraisal well at its Carcará pre-salt discovery in the Santos Basin south of Rio de Janeiro, partner Queiroz Galvão announced on 8 January 2015.
Queiroz Galvão said Odebrecht Oil & Gas' ODN II drillship, equipped for managed pressure drilling, spud the well. Located 5km from the discovery well at 2070m water depth, the appraisal well will be drilled in a single phase down to 6400m final depth. Operations are expected to complete by mid-2015.
The Carcará discovery, in Block BM-S-8, was found in 2012. It encountered a 470m column of 31º API oil in pre-salt microbial carbonates with excellent porosity and permeability.
A drill stem test is scheduled for 2H 2015 to evaluate the well. After drilling operations are completed at the second appraisal, ODN II will be moved to the first extension well to conclude drilling operations. The first appraisal well was originally drilled by the the Laguna Star drillship, but will be finished by the ODN II because of its MPD capabilities, eventually reaching 6500m final depth. The first phase of drilling extended to slightly above the bottom of the salt layer, Queiroz Galvão said. The first phase concluded in November 2014.
The ODN II is a sixth-generation, ultra-deepwater DSME 10000-designed DP3 drillship, built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering's Okpo, South Korea, yard in 2012 for Odebrecht. It is designed to operate at a maximum water depth of 3000m and has a maximum drilling capacity of 10,000m.
"Drilling and testing of the second appraisal well will provide data on the size of the accumulation discovered by the Carcará wildcat well, as well as the productivity of its reservoirs, which are essential data to efficiently plan the production system for the area," Queiroz Galvão said.
Petrobras operates the Block BM-S-8 consortium with 66% working interest. Its partners include Petrogal Brasil (14%), Queiroz Galvão (10%), and Barra Energia do Brasil Petróleo e Gás (10%).
Image: Odebrecht Oil & Gas
Subscribe
