Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras announced it has completed drilling the fifth exploratory well in the Santos Basin pre-salt Iara area, block BM-S-11. Well 3-RJS-715D (3-BRSA-1181D-RJS), informally known as Iara Alto ngulo ('Iara steep angle'), is located 225 km off the Rio de Janeiro coast, at a water depth of 2,128 meters. This well was drilled in the central area of the concession's Discovery Evaluation Plan, some 4 km to the north of discovery well 1-RJS-656 (1-BRSA-618), informally known as Iara.

The well was designed and executed with a sub-horizontal geometry and reached the total depth of 6,672m, after drilling approximately 900 meters of carbonate rock below the salt layer. A 310 meter hydrocarbon column was identified. The reservoirs feature characteristics that are similar to those found in discovery well (1-RJS-656, Iara), which was drilled vertically, and where good quality oil was identified (28 API).