Peter Howard Wertheim
OGJ correspondent
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 6 -- El Paso Oil & Gas in Brazil has declared commercial Lagosta natural gas field on BS-1 block in the Santos basin off São Paulo state. El Paso declined to estimate reserves but said production might range from 500,000 cu m/day to 1 million cu m/day.
Operator El Paso has a 60% stake in the block, and Brazil's state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) holds 40%.
According to the development plan for this field, to be submitted to the National Petroleum Agency in March 2005, Petrobras will deliver production to a pipeline at nearby Merluza gas field.