An operation using oil extraction techniques is being used to drill the soil of Paraná down to the Guarani Aquifer, with dozens of tons of equipment drilling almost a kilometer deep in Cornélio Procópio.

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 23/05/2026 at 13:23

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Sanepar has started drilling the soil of Cornélio Procópio, in Northern Paraná, with a highly complex drilling operation that uses techniques similar to oil extraction. The well will be 870 meters deep and will reach the Guarani Aquifer, one of the largest underground freshwater reserves in the world. The expectation is to produce 300 thousand liters of water per hour, increasing the city’s supply capacity by almost 50%, which has already been without water for seven days after a pipeline rupture.

Sanepar is using probes, fluid injection pumps, a field laboratory, and drilling columns weighing dozens of tons to drill the soil of Cornélio Procópio until reaching the Guarani Aquifer. According to information from the Government of Paraná, the operation began on May 13 and will traverse layers of soil, basaltic rocks from the Serra Geral Formation, and finally, the productive sandstones where the underground water is stored. The total investment is R$ 8.9 million, with R$ 6.3 million allocated for the well drilling and R$ 2.5 million for the relocation of 1,278 meters of pipeline that transports water from the Congonhas River to the treatment station.

The president of Sanepar, Wilson Bley, stated that expectations are high. The technical estimate is that the well will produce 300 thousand liters of water per hour, equivalent to a flow rate of 70 liters per second. For a city that relies exclusively on the Congonhas River and has already faced seven consecutive days without supply after a pipeline rupture, the new well represents real water security. The current system will be able to serve up to 30 thousand additional people with the volume injected by the Guarani Aquifer.

What it’s like to drill the soil up to 870 meters deep

With the Guarani Aquifer well, Sanepar expands supply in Cornélio Procópio
image: Sanepar

Marcos Justino Guarda, Sanepar’s Hydrogeology manager, explained that drilling the soil down to the Guarani Aquifer is a highly complex service, comparable to that used in oil extraction. The operation uses large-scale drilling rigs, fluid injection pumps, an on-site laboratory to control fluid properties, and waste tanks, in addition to a drilling column composed of rods, stabilizers, and cylinders weighing tens of tons.

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What is the Guarani Aquifer and why drilling it matters

The Guarani Aquifer is one of the largest underground freshwater reserves on the planet, with an estimated extension of 1.2 million square kilometers spreading across four countries: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The reserve is protected by hundreds of meters of basaltic rock, making it less vulnerable to surface contamination and rainfall patterns, unlike rivers and reservoirs that depend on the climate to maintain their levels.

For cities like Cornélio Procópio, drilling the soil down to the Guarani Aquifer means accessing a constant water source independent of climatic variations. Sanepar already operates wells connected to the aquifer in Londrina, Ibiporã, Bandeirantes, Santa Mariana, Andirá, Santa Amélia, Cambará, and Jacarezinho. In 2024, the company drilled a well over a thousand meters deep in Dois Vizinhos, in the southwest of the state, with a capacity of 200,000 liters per hour.

The problem that made the project urgent

Cornélio Procópio currently depends on a single supply source: the Congonhas River. When a 400-millimeter diameter pipeline burst a few years ago, the city was without water for seven consecutive days, exposing the fragility of a system that had no alternative supply.

The operational manager of Sanepar in the region, Adelir Antonio Trentin Junior, stated that drilling the well in the Guarani Aquifer will meet the immediate increase in demand and reduce risks of operational interruptions. According to him, the new well provides stability and flexibility to the system, shielding the supply against severe climatic variations and prolonged drought periods. The city needs this security to sustain its economic and urban growth.

The pipeline that is also being modernized

In addition to drilling the ground for the new well, Sanepar is investing R$ 2.5 million in the relocation of the pipeline that transports raw water from the Congonhas River to the treatment station. The service includes the redirection and modernization of 1,278 meters of main pipeline, with a diameter of 400 millimeters, replacing sections that posed a risk of new rupture.

The modernization of the pipeline and the drilling of the well form a set of investments that Sanepar classifies as a milestone for the municipality’s infrastructure. The works comply with all environmental legislation requirements and current technical safety guidelines. The completion deadline for the well is expected by the end of 2026, when Cornélio Procópio will have two independent supply sources for the first time in the city’s history.

Did you know that drilling the ground to the Guarani Aquifer requires the same techniques used to extract oil? What impresses you the most: the 870 meters depth, the 300 thousand liters per hour, or the fact that the city was once without water for a week? Tell us in the comments.

An operation using oil extraction techniques is being used to drill the soil of Paraná down to the Guarani Aquifer, with dozens of tons of equipment drilling almost a kilometer deep in Cornélio Procópio.

What it’s like to drill the soil up to 870 meters deep

What is the Guarani Aquifer and why drilling it matters

The problem that made the project urgent

The pipeline that is also being modernized

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An operation using oil extraction techniques is being used to drill the soil of Paraná down to the Guarani Aquifer, with dozens of tons of equipment drilling almost a kilometer deep in Cornélio Procópio.

What it’s like to drill the soil up to 870 meters deep

What is the Guarani Aquifer and why drilling it matters

The problem that made the project urgent

The pipeline that is also being modernized

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