Marine Technology Reporter Blogs - post-salt

The new discovery in the Caratinga field along with the possible confirmation of of the extension to the Barracuda field, raise expectations for the existence of an extensive pre-salt system in the Campos Basin.Petrobras has announced the discovery of two new light oil accumulations (29o API) in reservoirs in the Campos Basin's post- and pre-salt areas, by means of the drilling of well 6-CRT-43-RJS, known as Carimbé. The discovery was made by means of the drilling of well 6-CRT-43-RJS, known as Carimbé, located in Caratinga Field, about 106 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, at a water depth of 1,027 meters. The accumulation discovered in the post-salt reservoirs is nestled 3,950 meters under the seabed.

The two new discoveries in one well, announced by Petrobras last Thursday, strengthen the thesis pertaining to the possibility of the existence of a great reservoir beneath the salt layer of the Campos Basin. The Campos Basin pre-salt shows its potential even if volumes are less than at the Santos Basin, as various factors related to logistics, production timeline and development costs make this possibility very attractive to players and specially to Petrobras. As is widely known, the Campos Basin is presently responsible for over 80% of the Brazilian O&G production. The discoveries indicate the existence of hydrocarbons in both the pre-salt and the post-salt layers in a single well at the Barracuda field in the Campos Basin, 100km from the coast of  Rio de Janeiro.

Increased investment in subsea systems instead of intensive use of rigs and FPSOs is looking to be the present and future trend in the Brazilian O&G market. Subsea system equipment manufacturers in all levels, from subsea trees to the smallest subsystem manufacturers, have a good reason to be happy with present and future business prospects in Brazil. Not only are the deepwater pre-salt plays being developed and other propective deepwater plays being drilled, but also various new post-salt shallow water fields have been recently discovered, most in the southern Campos Basin by OG X Petroleo and more recently by Petrobras, which has confirmed the potencial of its play adjacent to the Pampo field.