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ExxonMobil operates nine offshore blocks in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin (Image: Enauta)

ANP grants ExxonMobil extension for four

blocks in Sergipe-Alagoas, Campos basins

BRAZIL’S National Agency of Petroleum, Natu- and Murphy Oil (US), with 20%.
ral Gas and Biofuels (ANP) said earlier this week The same three shareholders also hold explo-
that it had agreed to extend the first exploration ration rights to six more licence areas in the same
period of four offshore blocks assigned to Exx- basin. To date, though, they have not had much
onMobil (US). luck in their search for oil and gas. The first
In a statement, ANP said it had pushed exploration well they drilled in the Sergipe-Ala-
the end date for exploration work at the goas basin – Cutthroat-1, an ultra-deepwater
SEAL-M-505, SEAL-M-575 and SEAL-M-637 wildcat well spudded at SEAL-M-428 in Febru-
licence areas in the Sergipe-Alagoas basins back ary 2022 – turned out to be dry. This proved to
from February 14, 2027 to November 14, 2027. be a disappointment for many observers – not
It also reported that it had moved the deadline least among them Murphy Oil, which had pre-
for exploration at the C-M-789 block in the dicted that the Cutthroat prospect might hold
Campos basin back by nine months, from Sep- 500mn-1bn barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
tember 11, 2025 to June 11, 2026. By contrast, ExxonMobil has found some oil
The agency did not comment on the reasons at C-M-789 in the Campos basin. In July 2021,
for its decision. the US giant said it had seen evidence of crude
ExxonMobil acquired rights to the three Ser- in Opal-1A (also known as 1-EMEB-1A-RJS),
gipe-Alagoas blocks in 2019, during the First a well drilled at the block in 2,681-metre-deep
Cycle of the Permanent Offer bidding round. water. Since then, however, it has announced
All of the blocks are divided between the US that it will not conduct appraisal drilling at the
super-major, with 50%; Enauta Participações, Opal field, as it has found only non-commercial
an independent Brazilian company, with 30%; reserves there. ™

Petrobras exec: Brazilian refinery sales

draw more interest the second time around

BRAZIL’S national oil company (NOC) Petro- Alberto Pasqualini Refinery (REFAP) in Rio
bras says foreign investors are showing more Grande do Sul state, the Presidente Getúlio Var-
interest in three refineries that were put back gas Refinery (REPAR) in Paraná and the Abreu e
on the market for a second time in late June: the Lima Refinery (RNEST) in Pernambuco.

Week 31 03•August•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11