Brazil's Petrobras finds evidence of oil in Colombia
19/10/2006 15:54
Brazilian energy company Petrobras has found evidence of an oil deposit of
at least 700 million barrels in eastern Colombia, visiting company manager
Dirceu Abrahao said in the Colombian capital Bogota yesterday.
Full details
of the deposit will be available within a year, he told media at an opening
ceremony for gas stations that Petrobras had bought from Shell.
Petrobras has
been exploring close to the town of Recetor, in the eastern department of
Casanare, where Colombia's largest crude deposits have been found. The Brazilian
company has drilled to a depth of 7,000 meters, but needs to drill to 19,000
meters to confirm the presence of petrol.
"Data shows a good chance of
finding petrol," Abrahao said, adding that the company would invest US$70
million in the project.
Colombia's energy and mines minister, Hernan
Martinez, called for prudence, saying that there remained many tests to be done
before the find could be confirmed as crude, because it could also be gas or
water.
"There may be several months of delay between drilling and proof," he
added.
Petrobras and the mainly state owned Colombian Petrol Company
(Ecopetrol) signed an agreement to promote biofuels in Colombia on
Tuesday.
xinhua
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