Federal Public Ministry Recommends That Ibama Deny Petrobras’s Request for Drilling in the Mouth of the Amazon River

The MPF Established an Emphatic Request to Ibama for Petrobras to Have Its Environmental License Application Denied Regarding the Exploration of the Foz do Amazonas Basin Located in Amapá.

The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) requested last Friday, (08/18), that Ibama reject the request for reconsideration of the environmental license required by Petrobras to carry out drilling in the Foz do Amazonas basin, located in the state of Amapá. The MPF emphasized that it will take “appropriate legal measures” if the recommendation is not followed.

See: Ibama President Explains Why Environmental License Was Not Granted to Petrobras

Federal Public Ministry Reinforces Request to Reject Petrobras’s Environmental License, Citing Inconsistencies and Omissions

Rodrigo Agostinho, president of the environmental agency Ibama, had previously denied the environmental license request made by Petrobras earlier this year, justifying that the company had not met the essential requirements to continue the proposed activities.

However, Petrobras announced its intention to appeal the decision.

The MPF’s recommendation supports the observations present in a previous document issued by the agency itself.

This document highlighted “inconsistencies” in Petrobras’s license request, pointing to “misguided assumptions presented by the company, which distort or minimize Ibama’s previous analyses.”

The MPF also noted Petrobras’s lack of response regarding “crucial” points that led to the denial of the license for operations in the Foz do Amazonas region.

Among the cited points are the incorrect assumptions presented by Petrobras, which misrepresent or downplay Ibama’s conclusions in earlier analyses.

And also the lack of response from Petrobras regarding essential factors for the denial of the operating license in the Foz do Amazonas.

Additionally, Petrobras stated that the proposed activity area is located 560 km from the Foz do Amazonas.

However, it omitted the information that the area of the Morpho well remains under the hydrodynamic influence of the mentioned river, which extends for hundreds of kilometers.

Foz do Amazonas Basin Faces Debate Between Oil Exploration Potential and Socio-Environmental Concerns

Federal prosecutor Pablo Luz de Beltrand, responsible for the recommendation, invoked Law 6,938/1981 as a crucial instrument for environmental management, an indispensable tool to protect socio-environmental heritage.

This is in accordance with the fundamental right to the environment, as assured by Article 225 of the Federal Constitution, and with the international commitments Brazil has pledged to honor.

The Foz do Amazonas basin encompasses a significant part of the Brazilian equatorial margin, a vast coastal stretch extending from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá.

This region includes the Pará-Maranhão, Barreirinhas, Ceará, and Potiguar basins, each with its own peculiarities.

The region as a whole is considered a new frontier for oil exploration, with substantial potential for oil discoveries but accompanied by significant socio-environmental challenges.

The MPF established a deadline of ten business days for Ibama to inform its decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of the recommendation to deny Petrobras’s request.

The agency also reported that it had sent documentation detailing the actions taken so far.

“Ibama was also warned that failure to comply with what was recommended will result in the adoption of appropriate legal measures to correct the identified illegalities and promote the respective responsibilities that may be configured,” stated the public agency in a note.