Posted by Since when it had its first oil back in the 1970s, the Potiguar basin production development had always been heavily focused on shallow waters, with wells rarely being drilled with more than 40 meters of water depth.
The first deepwater wells were drilled by Petrobras in 1995 and 2001, but none of them proved to be commercial.
The 7th Bidding Round in October 2005 marked the first exploratory blocks acquired in deep waters, apart from Round 0.
A new drilling camping dedicated to the deepwater compartments happened in 2013, drilling 3 wells and resulting in Pitu, Ararauna, and Tango discoveries.
More blocks were acquired in 2013 and 2018, and another deepwater well was drilled in 2015, also with HC shows.
Today, we have 14 exploratory blocks and the presence of 9 companies: Galp, Petrobras, Wintershall, to name a few. The deepwater compartment currently keeps the highest number of assets it has ever had.
3D Seismic surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 added over 20,000 km², providing a better understanding of the basin opportunities.
Even though its production peaked way back in the 1980s, the Potiguar basin is still set for a somewhat promising future, with new wells being licensed, new seismic being shot, and big players showing commitment to the area.