Is Brazil’s pre-salt still a good place for explorers?

Although the pre-salt play makes up the majority of production in Brazil, just one possible commercial discovery has been announced since 2019 (Alto de Cabo Frio Central). Until then, 10 exploration wells reported hydrocarbon shows and five resulted in dry holes. What is behind these disappointing results? Oil companies are dealing with many risks related to the exploratory activity in the Brazilian pre-salt. The geology can explain some of them. Recent efforts to extend the pre-salt success area have provided explorers vital lessons and better geological context understanding. Facing the pre-salt challenges, oil companies are now looking for new frontier areas in Brazil inspired by the last discoveries in other regions. In this report, we provide an overview of the latest well results, how we see the main pre-salt geological risks, and the future of exploration activity in Brazil.