Oil Spill in Brazil’s Santos Basin, Petrobras’ Dynamic Producer Loses 160 Barrels

Updated: February 1, 2012 (Originally published January 31, 2012)

Petrobras announces that at 8:30 A.M. this Tuesday (January 31), a rupture was detected in the production column of FPWSO Dynamic Producer, which is anchored about 300 kilometers off the coast of the State of São Paulo at a site where water depth is 2,140 meters. This vessel platform is undertaking the Extended Well Test (EWT) of Carioca Nordeste, in the Santos Basin pre-salt region.

The well was in production with a continuous monitoring and recording system. After the rupture, the safety system shut the well down automatically. The well is closed and has been secured.

A preliminary estimate indicates 160 barrels of oil may have spilled. There is no possibility the oil will reach the Brazilian coast.

Petrobras set its Emergency Plan into action immediately. All resources needed to collect the oil from the sea and the residual oil from the top of the column have been put into motion.

The Company has officially communicated the incident to the Brazilian Navy, IBAMA and to the National Petroleum Agency (ANP).

The causes of the incident are under investigation.

UPDATE:

Brazil’s offshore oil regulator, ANP, said late Tuesday that it has appointed a team to investigate the rupture on the production column of the FPWSO Dynamic Producer starting Wednesday.

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