Start of ExxonMobil oil exploration in Sergipe promises to bring opportunities to the State, generating jobs and promoting all regional production

Enauta Participações informed yesterday (21/02), in a fact relevant to the market, that it started drilling the first exploratory well in the SEAL-M-428 block, located in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, where it has a partnership with the American oil giants ExxonMobil and Murphy Oil. 

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According to the Brazilian company Enauta, drilling at the Cutthroat prospect is being carried out by Seadrill's West Saturn rig, in a water depth of 3.093 meters, with an estimated duration of between two and four months.

Enauta has a 30% interest in nine blocks in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, and will be partially carried by the American oil companies ExxonMobil (operator, 50%) and Murphy Oil (20%) in the drilling of this well, as agreed in the respective farmout. “Enauta will be partially carried out by partners ExxonMobil and Murphy Oil in drilling this well, as agreed in the respective farmout agreements,” the company said.

Ibama issued a license to the oil company ExxonMobil, which must drill up to 11 exploratory wells in deep waters of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin

Last Thursday, the 17th, the issuance of the environmental license that allows the drilling of the ExxonMobil well in the ultra-deep waters of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin was announced. The license released by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) authorizes the American oil company to start its oil and gas exploration campaign in the area, covering up to 11 wells, with a validity of five years.

The wells to be explored by the US oil giant are located in blocks SEAL-M-351, SEAL-M-428, SEAL-M-430, SEAL-M-501, SEAL-M-503 and SEAL-M-573.

The drillship West Saturn, which is already in the exploration region, will be responsible for the campaign. The closest well to the coast will be located 67km from the municipality of Brejo Grande, and the depth of the pioneer well should be up to 3,8km.

The consortium's exploration blocks, led by ExxonMobil in partnership with Enauta and Murphy Oil, are adjacent to the area where Petrobras will start production under the Sergipe Águas Profundas project. The drilling period for the pioneer well is approximately two months. Upon completion, the rig will be moved to work on the development of the Bacalhau field.

The executive superintendent of the State Secretariat for Economic Development and Science and Technology (Sedetec), Marcelo Menezes, highlights the relevance of the news for Sergipe. “The release for the start of the ExxonMobil campaign was highly anticipated. It is a promising project, which should bring several opportunities to the State, generating jobs and promoting all regional production. The expectation is that after drilling, analysis of the data obtained will be carried out to define the continuity of the exploratory program, with subsequent planning for the implementation of production structures”, he states.