Petrobras started-up, on June 21, the Extended Well Test (EWT) in the evaluation area known as Iara, on block BM-S-11, , some 300 km off the coast and at a water depth of approximately 2,200m. The Extended Well Test is part of the Discovery Evaluation Program, approved by Brazil’s National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP).

The test is being conducted on well 3-BRSA-1132-RJS (RJS-706), in the western section of the Iara Evaluation Plan, using FPSO Dynamic Producer. The well’s initial production of 29 thousand barrels of oil per day is similar to the production of the wells that are currently producing for commercial purposes in the Santos Basin Pre-salt, indicating the area’s enormous potential.

This EWT, the first to be carried out in Iara, will enable the acquisition of important data for the development of this discovery, which took place in 2008.

The Evaluation Plan will expire at the end of 2014, at which time the consortium must submit the declaration of commerciality to the ANP.

Petrobras is the operator of the consortium (65%), in partnership with BG E&P Brasil Ltda (25%) and Petrogal Brasil S.A (10%).