Petrobras announced that it will spend around 151 million real ($28.7 million) on the Libra Rocks project, which aims to develop new geological models for the Mero offshore field.
With a production capacity of 770,000 BOPD reached last May, the pre-salt field lies in the Santos Basin and is Brazil’s third largest, behind the Búzios and Tupi fields. Petrobras announced in January that it averaged 2.4 million BOPD in 2025, an 11% increase from the prior year.
The government-funded Libra Rocks project will operate as a partnership between the Libra consortium and the University of Brasília, the Federal University of Paraná, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. More than 150 researchers from these universities will work on the project, and there are plans to grant more than 90 scholarships for undergraduate research and master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies to support the effort.
Petrobras noted that the Mero field is already one of the most studied in Brazil because of the large volume of oil it holds and the technological challenges it presents.
The field lies in depths ranging from 5000 to 6000 m below sea level and in water depths of 1800 to 2000 m. The carbonate rocks that form the reservoir are estimated to be between 113 million and 125 million years old.
While known for high porosity and good permeability, the Mero reservoir also faces challenges due to its high salinity and elevated CO2 content.
“Libra Rocks has the potential to reduce uncertainties in the production curve, increase efficiency in reservoir management, optimize the location of new wells, and improve knowledge about the timing of CO2 entry and oil loading in the reservoir,” Bruno Moczydlower, executive manager of Libra for Petrobras, said in a statement.
Petrobras added that the 4-year project aims to “transform” the science and technologies used in exploration and production. If successful, the national oil company hopes the work will increase the recovery factor and improve overall reservoir management in the Mero field.
To achieve this, the Libra Rocks project will rely on artificial intelligence to develop algorithms that automate geological data processing. The goal is to create detailed conceptual models of carbonate rocks in the Libra area along with new methods to analyze them.
Petrobras said the project aims to generate new insights into the origin, composition, structure, and transformation of the rocks to better understand key properties such as pore distribution and permeability.
Libra Rocks will also examine the geological impact of the separation of Brazil and Africa, which created the southern portion of the Atlantic Ocean.
The work will involve creating “digital rock” models using high-resolution imaging to generate 3D replicas of reservoir rock samples.
Petrobras operates the unitized Mero field with a 38.6% interest on behalf of partners Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNOOC (9.65%), CNPC (9.65%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA), which, in addition to managing the contract, acts as the federal government’s representative in the noncontracted area with a 3.5% stake.
