In April 2020 it was learned from company sources that Equinor, formerly Statoil, was in the relinquishment process with its interests in four blocks in the offshore Espirito Santo Basin. These blocks are: ES-M-596, ES-M-598, ES-M-671 and ES-M-673. All are ANP Round 11 blocks awarded in May 2013 and each has an area of about 720 sq km. The ES-M-596 Block is operated by Petrobras with 50% while Equinor holds the remaining 50%. In this block Petrobras could absorb the 50% of Equinor by using its right of first refusal. The other three blocks are operated by Equinor. ES-M-598 and ES-M-673 are Equinor (40%) while Petrobras is partner with 40% and Queiroz Galvao 20%. ES-M-671 is Equinor 35%, Petrobras 40% and Total 25%. These blocks could be relinquished by Equinor or its partners could take over the Equinor interests after approval by the ANP. Brazilian government sources in September 2019 indicate that Petrobras new-field wildcat 1BRSA1360ESS on the ES-M-596 Block had oil shows. Previous reports had the well ending drilling operations by 14 May 2018 and since no oil or gas show reports were previously announced by the ANP for the well, it was believed to be plugged and abandoned as a dry hole. The well had a planned total depth of 5,532m and was drilled by the Odebrechtâs ODN I drillship in a water depth of 1977m. The projected objective was the Late Cretaceous Urucutuca Formation. Since 2016, Equinor has been trying to farmout interest in the offshore Espirito Santo Basin including four Round 11 blocks: ES-M-598, ES-M-673, ES-M-671 and ES-M-743. Petrobras drilled a dry hole in 2004 with a total depth of 6,814m in ultra-deepwater on block ES-M-671. The stated reason for offering the farm-out was wanting to reduce their risk exposure. In December 2014 a multi-client 3D seismic survey in the offshore Espirito Santo Basin called Espirito Santo Phase III completed shooting. The survey was shot by the French company CGG for a planned data acquisition of 9,605 sq km. The ES-M-596 Block was covered in the survey along with others signed in 2013 from ANP Round 11. The data was acquired by the Oceanic Champion M/V. 
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