Petrobras Makes New Natural Gas Discovery Off Colombia’s Coast
By Bruno de Freitas Moura
Key Takeaways:
- Petrobras announced the discovery of a natural gas well at the Sandia-1 exploration site in Colombia’s deepwater Guajira basin, located 42 km offshore at a water depth of 1,251 meters.
- The well is near previous high-potential discoveries (Sirius-1 and Copoazu-1) and forms part of a consortium in which Petrobras holds a 44.44% stake and operates the block alongside majority partner Ecopetrol.
- The find supports Petrobras’s strategy of expanding reserves through frontier exploration and partnerships to contribute to regional energy security during the energy transition.
Petrobras announced on Monday (Aug. 3) the discovery of a natural gas well in a high-potential deepwater area off the coast of Colombia. The deposit is located in the Sandia-1 exploration well, in Block GUA-OFF-0, in the Guajira basin. Sandia-1 is located 42 kilometers offshore, at a water depth of 1,251 meters.
The company had already discovered high-potential reservoirs near the new location. Sandia-1 is 18 km from the Sirius-1 well and 9 km from the Copoazu-1 well.
Drilling of the well began on June 12 and reached final depth last Wednesday (29).
The consortium
Petrobras is engaged in oil and gas exploration and production in Colombia through its subsidiary Petrobras International Braspetro B.V. – Colombia branch (PIB-COL).
Exploration in the Guajira basin is conducted in a consortium with the Colombian state-owned company Ecopetrol. The Colombians hold a 55.56 percent stake in the consortium, and the Brazilians 44.44 percent. Even though it holds a minority stake, Petrobras is the operator of exploration activities in the block.
According to the company, the discovery “reinforces the gas potential in Colombia’s offshore area, adding volumes that will contribute to the region’s energy security.”
The Brazilian state-owned company also noted that its operations off the Colombian coast are in line with its long-term strategy, which aims to replenish oil and gas reserves through exploration in new frontier areas and partnerships with other companies, “helping to meet global energy demand during the energy transition.”
Petrobras around the world
In addition to Colombia, Petrobras is involved in oil production in other countries.
In Africa, the state-owned oil giant operates in Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Africa. In the Americas, the company has a presence in Bolivia, Argentina, and the US.
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