EXXONMOBIL has made what could be a world-class pre-salt oil discovery offshore Brazil – possibly greater than 10million barrels recoverable in size. The block BM-S-22 discovery well was drilled on the Ogum (Azulao) prospect, a deepwater pre-salt structure judged to be the southern flank of the giant Sugarloaf superstructure, which has produced the Carioca, Bem-te-Vi, Caramba and Guara finds on its northern flank.
ExxonMobil says the prospect is the largest so far found in the Santos Basin’s emerging pre-salt petroleum province. The discovery well was drilled using Seadrill’s West Polaris drillship working in 2,223m (7,293ft) of water.
It has been reported that Ogum is the first of two wildcat wells located near the crest of the Sugarloaf structure to determine whether the light oil and gas so far found there is actually one large, connected reservoir.