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Ibama Will Conduct Tomorrow, 5, the Inspection on Petrobras’ Rig for Drilling in the Equatorial Margin.
The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) will carry out an inspection on the NS-42 rig this Thursday (5), which will be used by Petrobras for drilling in block FZA-M-59, located in the Foz do Amazonas Basin — part of the so-called Equatorial Margin of Brazil.
The unit is currently anchored in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, and, if there are no impediments, it is expected to head north in the coming days, with an arrival forecast at its final destination later this month.
The inspection marks an essential step for the state-owned company to obtain the definitive license to start activities in the region, which is considered promising for the expansion of national deepwater oil production.
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Petrobras is expected to complete the drilling of the Morpho well in the Foz do Amazonas in August 2026, the first well in the Equatorial Margin, an oil frontier that the ANP estimates at more than 30 billion barrels and could redraw the map of Brazil.
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Ibama Inspection Is Mandatory Step for Licensing
According to Ibama itself, the inspection is part of a standard protocol within the environmental licensing process for offshore drilling.
In an official statement, the agency emphasized that the inspection “does not represent any conclusive direction regarding the issuance or denial of the environmental license related to the offshore drilling activity in block FZA-M-59, in the Foz do Amazonas Basin.”
After this step, Petrobras awaits authorization to conduct the so-called Pre-Operational Analysis (APO), a decisive evaluation for the release of the drilling license.
Petrobras Reaffirms Commitment to Environmental Safety
Petrobras claims that operations in the Equatorial Margin will be carried out within the strictest safety standards.
The company’s Exploration and Production director, Sylvia Anjos, posted an institutional video on social media highlighting the company’s history: “We have drilled over 3,000 wells in the country without any environmental damage or leaks.”
She added, “A fundamental step for us to obtain the definitive license to drill the well. We are moving forward to uncover the oil potential of Amapá deep waters. Always remembering that the result of one well is not enough to evaluate the area. We have eight wells planned for the six blocks in the area,” she stated.
Billion-Dollar Investment and Large-Scale Operation
For this stage in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, Petrobras is allocating around R$ 16 billion. The support structure for the operation includes emergency simulations with over a thousand professionals and about 60 vessels.
The Port of Belém, in Pará, will be used as a logistical base for receiving materials and supplies.
In total, the state-owned company plans to drill 16 wells in the region. Despite the basin’s name, block FZA-M-59 is located about 540 km from the mouth of the Amazon River.
Petrobras also compares that this distance is greater than that of other fields already in operation, such as Jubarte (in the Campos Basin) and Tupi (in the Santos Basin), which are closer to the beaches of the fluminense coast.
Source: Estadão
