Brazil’s oil and gas regulator ANP has approved an 18-month extension of the exploration period for the Aram block in the Santos Basin pre-salt, pushing the deadline for Petrobras and China’s CNOOC to meet their commitments to June 30, 2029, according to BNamericas. The move gives the consortium more time to advance drilling in one of Brazil’s most promising pre-salt areas, seen as critical to maintaining oil supply self-sufficiency in the next decade.
The Aram block was acquired in March 2020 during ANP’s 6th production-sharing round, with state-owned PPSA as contract manager. Petrobras holds an 80% operating stake, while CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda owns the remaining 20%.
Petrobras confirmed hydrocarbon discoveries in the block in March and May this year, and the consortium is currently drilling two wells with the Valaris DS-4 and West Auriga rigs in water depths of about 1,860 meters, according to BNamericas.
The regulator’s decision follows earlier adjustments to Aram’s exploration schedule. In June, Brasil Energia reported that ANP had extended the PAD Curaçao appraisal program within Aram until December 2026, citing the technical complexity of the campaign. In May, Offshore Magazine noted Petrobras had struck “high-quality oil without contaminants” in well 3-BRSA-1396D-SPS, adding that further delineation was required to confirm commercial volumes. Click Petróleo e Gás reported Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard as calling Aram one of the company’s most strategic pre-salt prospects.
The Aram block has become a focal point of Brazil’s upstream strategy as legacy fields in the pre-salt age and decline. For Petrobras, the extension ensures time to assess one of its most significant exploration bets, while for CNOOC it secures a potential long-term source of supply in the Americas.
Separately, Brazil’s largest FPSO reached its maximum production capacity ahead of schedule. The faster-than-expected ramp-up reflects the scale of new pre-salt developments being brought online, even as Petrobras and its partners continue exploration work in areas such as Aram.
By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com
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