Petrobras sends drill ship to the Equatorial Margin off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte

The ODN-II drillship, which will be used to drill the Pitu Oeste well, in the Potiguar Basin, is already heading towards the location, on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. Drilling, scheduled to begin in December, will take place in block BM-POT-17. This will mark Petrobras’ return to the Equatorial Margin, which stretches from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapa, along the Brazilian coast. As a reminder, the company received from IBAMA, in October 2023, the operating license to drill exploratory wells in deep waters in the Potiguar Basin. Under the same environmental license, Petrobras plans to drill the Anhangá well, in the POT-M-762 concession, 79km off the coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte and close to the Pitu Oeste well.

The company’s president, Jean Paul Prates, recalls that the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan foresees the investment of US$ 3.1 billion in exploration activities in the Equatorial Margin. “This effort already gives a measure of the confidence we have in the potential of this strip of the Brazilian coast, which is very promising and fundamental for guaranteeing the country’s energy security,” he stated. Pitu Oeste will be the third well in the BM-POT-17 concession and drilling is expected to take 3 to 5 months. The last well in this concession was drilled in 2015.

“The Pitu Oeste well means the resumption of our activities in the Equatorial Margin and an exploratory campaign that we believe in, as it will further expand Petrobras’ activities to the northeast and north and help finance our energy transition,” added the director of Exploration and Production at Petrobras, Joelson Falcão Mendes.

The ODN-II, owned by Foresea, was in Guanabara Bay for hull cleaning and supply. To remember, initially, the ship would be used by the state-owned company to drill a well in block FZA-M-59, in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. However, Ibama denied the oil company’s request for environmental licensing.