Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

e water depths between 400 and 1,000 metres and ultra deep waters are
water depths deeper than 1,000 metres.
If one only considers liquid hydrocarbons reserves, that is, oil and
condensate, the figures go to 14.32 billion barrels, 8.08 billions of which are
proved. Approximately, 82 % of these reserves are found in deep and ultra
deep waters.
Natural gas reserves amount to 468 billion cubic meters (16.53 trillion
cubic feet), almost half of which are proved. Different from oil, the reserves of
which are located mainly offshore, almost half of the natural gas reserves are
found onshore. This makes it easier to produce that gas.
Natural gas reserves may have two origins: gas associated with oil,
and non-associated gas. The larger associated gas reserves are found in the
Campos Basin, and offshore Rio de Janeiro State, where the Roncador field
deserves a special mention since it contains the largest natural gas reserves in
Brazil. With reference to non-associated natural gas, the Solimões Basin, in the
Amazonas State (onshore), is the basin with the largest reserves. Leste do
Urucu field and Rio Urucu field, both in the petroleum province of Urucu,
contain the two largest onshore gas reserves.
Considering the evolution of the oil and natural gas production, it may
be viewed that the significant increase that occurred recently is a direct
consequence of the production from the new fields, especially from Campos
Basin giant fields.
Last April, Petrobrás’ average oil production was 1 million and 203
thousand barrels per day, 79.1 % of which came from offshore fields. It is
widely known that Rio de Janeiro State is the main producer, followed by Rio
Grande do Norte State, the main onshore producer.
Natural gas production, as of last April, reached 35.5 million cubic
metres per day (382 million cubic feet per day), being offshore fields
responsible for 59.5 % of the total. Similarly to the oil, Rio de Janeiro State is
also the main natural gas producer, chiefly associated gas. The main onshore
gas producer is the Amazonas State.
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 822