By IANS
Rio de Janeiro : The state-run energy giant Petrobras has discovered a large natural gas deposit off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Spanish news agency EFE reported Tuesday.
The outcropping containing the gas “might have dimensions similar to those of the Tupi field” that Petrobras discovered in November, the company said Monday.
The firm expects the Tupi field would increase Brazil’s total oil and natural gas reserves by 50 percent.
According to Petrobras, Tupi may contain as much as 8 billion barrels of petroleum and gas.
The new find is 290 km offshore at a depth of 5,252 metres, the company said in a statement.
The firm said it is currently developing a plan to determine the exact size of the new gas field. Portugal’s Galp holds a 20 percent stake in the bloc.