Tupi oil field
{{Short description|Brazilian offshore oil field}}
{{Infobox oil field
| name = Tupi
| country = Brazil
| region = Latin America
| location_map = Brazil
| location_map_width =
| location_map_text =
| coordinates = {{coord|25|30|0|S|43|30|0|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| relief = yes
| locblock = BM S 11
| offonshore = Offshore
| operator = Petrobras
| partners = BG Group, Galp Energia
| image =
| caption =
| discovery = 2006
| expectedabandonment =
| oil_production_bbl/d = 922000
| production_year_oil = 2021
| recover_oil_bbl = 7500
| producingformations = Barremian, Lower Aptian Guaratiba Formation
}}
The Tupi oil field (reverted from Lula oil field) is a large oil field located in the Santos Basin, {{convert|250|km}} off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
{{cite news
|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&refer=news&sid=arYFojM6udEI
|title= Petrobras' Tupi Oil Field May Hold 8 Billion Barrels (Update6)
|publisher=Bloomberg
|last1= Caminada |first1=Carlos
|last2= Blount |first2=Jeb
|date=2007-11-08
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
The field was originally nicknamed in honor of the Tupi people and later named after the mollusc, however it was also ambiguously similar to the name of former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It is considered to be the Western Hemisphere's largest oil discovery of the last 30 years.
{{cite news
|url= http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=75679
|title= Petrobras Pumps First Crude from Massive Tupi Field Offshore Brazil
|publisher=Rigzone
|author= Jeff Flick
|date=2009-05-01
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
History
The Tupi field was discovered in October 2006 by Petrobras. The former president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the field second independence for Brazil.
{{cite news
|url= http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article177455.ece
|title= Tupi oil is 'second independence for Brazil'
|newspaper = Upstream Online
| publisher = NHST Media Group
|date=2009-05-04
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
The field was originally named Tupi but in 2010 it was renamed Lula. The name 'Lula' means squid in Portuguese but also refers to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
{{cite news
|work=Reuters
|title= Huge Brazil oil field will bear Lula's name
|date=29 December 2010
|accessdate=25 July 2012
|url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-lula-oil-idUSTRE6BT06C20101230 }}
The upper estimate of {{convert|8|Goilbbl|abbr=off}} of recoverable oil would be enough to meet the total global demand for crude oil for about three months at the 2008 global extraction rate of around {{convert|85|Moilbbl/d|m3/d}}.
In January 2008 Petrobras announced the discovery of the Jupiter field, a huge natural gas and condensate field which could equal the Tupi oil field in size. It lies {{convert|37|km}} east of Tupi.{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7201744.stm
|title='Huge' gas field found off Brazil
|publisher=BBC News Online
|accessdate=2008-05-27
|last=Duffy
|first=Gary
| date=2008-01-22
}}
Reservoir
The Tupi field is located in the geological formation known as the Brazilian pre-salt layer, which lies below {{convert|2000|m|ft}} of water and then {{convert|5000|m}} of salt, sand and rocks. The Tupi accumulation, in block BM-S-11 of the Santos basin, contains at least {{convert|5|Goilbbl|km3}} of recoverable oil which could increase Brazil's reserves by 62%. This would make it twice the size of the Roncador, previously Brazil's largest field. Tupi is a sub-salt discovery—held in rocks beneath a salt layer that, in places, reaches thicknesses of over {{convert|2,000|m}}. The crude oil is an intermediate or medium gravity oil of 28–30 °API, which corresponds to a specific gravity around 0.88. The Tupi crude oil is considered sweet, which means that the sulfur content is less than 0.7% sulfur by weight.
By 2008 estimates had pushed the total to greater than {{convert|30|Goilbbl|m3|abbr=off}} equivalent, though Petrobras had not confirmed the highest estimate.{{cite web |url=http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=2&storyid=8745 |title=BG Group: Tupi could hold more than 30 billion BOE |accessdate=2008-02-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213002827/http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=2&storyid=8745 |archivedate=2008-02-13 }} These estimates were put into severe doubt by impartial analysts.{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11043022 |title=The Economist: Oil and Brazil, What Lies Beneath |accessdate=2008-04-17 | date=2008-04-16}}
Ownership
Block BM-S-11, which contains the Tupi field, is operated by Petrobras with a 65% controlling stake while BG Group holds 25% and Galp Energia has the remaining 10% interest. According to Bear Stearns estimates, the value of the oil in the block ranges from $25 billion to $60 billion.
{{cite news
|url= https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2007-11-09-brazil-oil_N.htm
|title= Offshore discovery could make Brazil major oil exporter
|publisher=USA Today
|author= Alan Clendenning
|date=2007-11-11
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
BM-S-11 also includes Tupi Sul, Iara and Iracema fields.
{{Cite press release
| title = Brazil
| publisher = BG Group
| year = 2008
| url = http://www.bg-group.com/OurBusiness/WhereWeOperate/Pages/Brazil.aspx
| accessdate = 8 January 2010}}
Production
On April 22, 2009, BW Offshore and Petrobras let up the first crude oil from test well at Tupi field. The celebration ceremony for the beginning of production was held aboard the BW Cidade de Sao Vicente floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) on May 1, 2009. The president was expected to visit, but did not show up. The first producing well was expected to provide output of {{convert|14000|oilbbl/d}} while the second well was expected to produce {{convert|15000|oilbbl/d}}. By 2020, Petrobras expects to produce up to {{convert|500000|oilbbl/d}}.
{{cite news
|url= https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1231462720080612
|title= Petrobras' Tupi field to produce 500,000 bpd by '20
|publisher=Reuters
|author=
|date=2009-09-10
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
Full field development may include up to 300 producing and injector wells, with total gross oil production reaching {{convert|1000000|oilbbl/d}} and {{convert|1|e9cuft|abbr=off}} of gas.
{{cite news
|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aUMFYycbcOjg
|title= Brazil's Tupi Field May Yield 1 Million Barrels a Day (Update4)
|publisher=Bloomberg
|last1= Cortes |first1=Katia
|last2= Marinho |first2=Helder
|date=2007-11-08
|accessdate=2010-01-08}}
The drilling of the first 15 wells has cost $1 billion. It is estimated that the total field cost will come to $50–$100 billion owing to the complexity of the geological formation. Up to 12 FPSOs may be needed for full production at Tupi.[http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/tupi/ Offshore Technology. Tupi Oil Field. Brazil] The field produced 100,000 barrels a day (January 2013).[http://www.worldoil.com/Brazil_QGEP_Carcara_field_wells_could_rival_Lula_output.html "Brazil's QGEP: Carcara field wells could rival Lula's output", World Oil (01/03/2013)] The field produced {{convert|922000|oilbbl/d}} and {{convert|1.48|e9cuft|abbr=off}} of gas in 2021. {{cite web | url=https://www.worldoil.com/magazine/2022/february-2022/features/regional-report-brazil-weathering-the-pandemic/ | title=Regional report: Brazil – weathering the pandemic | date=23 February 2022 }}
See also
{{Portal|Brazil|Energy}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.petrobras.com.br/pt/ Petrobras official site]
- [http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/tupi/tupi2.html Offshore Technology. Image—Section through Tupi field showing thick layers of salt]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tupi oil field}}