Petrobras has made a discovery of hydrocarbons in the exploratory Orca-1 well, located 40 kilometers north of the coast of Guajira province.
Ecopetrol, a partner with 30% stake in the project, announced this first discovery in deep waters of the Colombian Caribbean.
The Orca-1 well was drilled within the Tayrona block. The Tayrona block was the first contract granted in 2004 by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos) for exploration in the Colombian Caribbean.
The well reached the expected depth of 13,910 feet (4,243 meters), in water depth of 2,211 feet (674 meters). Drilling was completed in September and showed the accumulation of natural gas at a depth of 12,000 feet (3,657 meters).
Orca-1’s results confirm the hydrocarbon potential of this Colombian frontier basin and demonstrate the capacity of the petroleum system in the deep part of the offshore basin.
Following completion of this phase of exploration and initial tests, in-depth technical studies will begin to determine gas potential of the discovery.