Petro-Victory Energy has commenced drilling operations at the SJ-12 well in the São João Field, located in the Barreirinhas Basin, Maranhão, Brazil.
The move follows the company’s previously disclosed commitment under a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Petro-Victory holds a full working interest and operatorship of the São João Field after the Agência Nacional do Petróleo approved its acquisition in August 2022.
The SJ-12 well is part of a single non-associated gas well commitment outlined in the MoU.
According to an independent reserve and resource report from GLJ dated December 2024, the São João Field contains best estimate (2C) development pending contingent resources with risked volumes of 50.1 billion cubic feet (bcf) of non-associated gas.
Petro-Victory expects drilling and testing at SJ-12 to demonstrate the deliverability required for advancing initial gas commercialisation efforts in the region.
These efforts involve arrangements to supply regional industrial and power demand, as well as other market-based solutions suitable for developments of this scale. All operations at São João Field remain subject to regulatory approvals where necessary.
Petro-Victory is engaged in acquiring, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas across Brazil.
The company manages a portfolio of 49 concession contracts covering 276,755 net acres, in addition to six concessions and 19,074 acres co-owned with BlueOak in Capixaba Energia.
Additionally, in July 2025, Petro-Victory announced the completion of drilling operations at the AND-5 well.
This project is being conducted with partner Azevedo & Travassos Energia in the Andorinha Field, Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte.
The operation utilised the Drake-2 onshore hydraulic drilling rig, with Halliburton providing logging services.
After wireline logging and installation of a 7in nominal production casing to final depth, conventional petrophysical evaluation using a salinity cut-off of 3,500 parts per million identified 13m of net pay across four oil-bearing intervals.
