Ecopetrol S.A. (ECOPETROL) reports that it closed a deal with companies of the Shell and Chevron groups, which will allow it to expand its stake in Brazil's Pre-Salt Region. The agreement grants Ecopetrol a 10% stake in the Saturno block, located in the central region of the Santos basin, which was assigned to Shell and Chevron last September 28th in the Fifth Pre-Salt Round held by the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).
The agreement provides access the Saturno block and is subject to approval by Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy and the ANP, as well as other customary closing conditions for this kind of deals, was signed by the three companies in R?o de Janeiro.
The Saturno block consists of 1,100 square kilometers and is located off the coast of the states of S?o Paulo and R?o de Janeiro. The consortium originally made up of Shell and Chevron executed a proposal with a production stake of 70.2% in favor of the Brazilian State. Ecopetrol holds a 10% interest in the block's new composition, while Shell, the operator, and Chevron each hold a 45% interest.
Ecopetrol's stake in this new block is in addition to the one it won in another block in the Santos basin of Brazil's Pre-Salt Region, together with two other companies. Ecopetrol holds 20% of the Pau-Brasil exploratory block, while the Chinese company CNOOC holds 30% and the operator BP holds 50%.
With the addition of these two Pre-Salt blocks, Ecopetrol is now active in five blocks in Brazil, located in the Santos, Foz de Amazonas, Potiguar and Cear? basins.