Sul de Tupi

Sul de Tupi Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Sul de Tupi Oil and Gas Field is located in the Santos Basin, offshore Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The exact coordinates are -25.688, -42.834 (WGS 84).

Field Details

• Field Name: Sul de Tupi, also sometimes referred to as Sul de Lula.
• Basin: Santos Basin.
• Operator: Petrobras.
• Ownership: Petrobras holds 100% ownership of the field.

Discovery and Development

• Discovery Year: 2013.
• Production Start Year: While the exact start year is not specified, it is part of the Iara complex which has been in production for several years.

Production and Reserves

• Production:
  • Oil: Approximately 20.3 million barrels per year (2020) and 17.97 million barrels per year (2022).
  • Gas: About 848.62 million cubic meters per year (2020) and 791.86 million cubic meters per year (2022).
• Reserves: Estimated reserves of 128 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) as of 2013.

Geology and Reservoir

• The field is part of the pre-salt layer in the Santos Basin, characterized by thick layers of salt and reservoirs composed of lacustrine carbonates and coquinas.
• The pre-salt reservoirs are sealed by a massive halite and evaporite sedimentary unit, which acts as an effective seal for the hydrocarbons.

Infrastructure and Operations

• The field is interconnected with other fields in the Iara complex, including Berbigão, Oeste de Atapu, and Sururu.
• The production units are likely connected to a subsea pipeline grid, similar to other fields in the Santos Basin, to facilitate the export of natural gas and oil.

Significance

• The Sul de Tupi field is one of the several significant discoveries in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, contributing to Brazil's status as a major oil and gas producer.
• The field's production is part of the broader efforts to develop the pre-salt reservoirs, which have transformed Brazil's oil and gas landscape.

Challenges and Innovations

• The development of the Sul de Tupi field, like other pre-salt fields, involves overcoming technical challenges such as drilling through thick salt layers and managing the unique physical properties of the salt.
• Innovative technologies and adapted existing ones have been crucial in tackling these challenges, including advanced drilling techniques and reservoir management methodologies.

In summary, the Sul de Tupi Oil and Gas Field is a significant component of Brazil's pre-salt oil and gas production, operated by Petrobras and contributing substantially to the country's hydrocarbon output.