OREANDA-NEWS. With a target depth of 5,850 meters, the first appraisal well was spudded on Libra field off the coast of Brazil in early August. The super-giant field, located 200 kilometers offshore, has estimated resources of between 8 billion and 12 billion barrels in reservoirs that lie under a thick layer of salt. The well kicks off several years of work that will allow Total and its partners to improve their understanding of the gigantic field.

Ў°It's hard to grasp the sheer scale of Libra," explains Ladislas Paszkiewicz, Exploration & Production's Senior Vice President, Americas. Ў°The field covers 1,550 square kilometers and we think it could require as many as 12 FPSOs©ч to develop.Ў±Once the first systems have been installed, production is scheduled to begin in 2017 and plateau at 1.3 million barrels per day in 2030.