Petrobras Obtains License From Ibama to Begin Drilling Wells and Oil Exploration in the Equatorial Margin

Petrobras Receives License from Ibama to Begin Oil Exploration in the Equatorial Margin Block, with Drilling of New Wells Already Planned for Expansion of Production and Marketing of Fuel in Brazil

After the approval from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), Petrobras is moving forward with its oil exploration project in the Equatorial Margin block, in the Amapá region, on Monday (09/05). The company will drill new wells in the area to ensure new reserves for its fuel production chain in the national territory.

Petrobras Needs to Prove Safety in Oil Exploration with Well Drilling in the Equatorial Margin to Ibama to Obtain Production License

Petrobras has a new expansion project for its oil production in the national territory and is preparing for another phase of the initiative. Aiming to drill new production wells in the Equatorial Margin, the company will undergo a pre-operational analysis process with Ibama. Thus, the state-owned company seeks authorization from the agency to begin fuel exploration in the Amapá region in the coming months of this year.

The pre-operational assessment inspected by Ibama is necessary for Petrobras to ensure complete operational safety to the agency. Therefore, the company needs to demonstrate that there is no risk of contamination of the area due to potential oil leaks during exploration. In addition, there is also a need for control measures if any accident occurs involving drilling operations by the company. Only then can Ibama grant authorization to start oil exploration in the Amapá region.

Following the exploration project, Petrobras stated that it is fully prepared for the analysis and that, upon completion of the simulator demonstration, it will be able to initiate the processes for well drilling. The company has contracted drilling rigs, support boats, and helicopters to ensure that all operations proceed as planned during Ibama’s evaluation. The announcement of these procedures was made in a meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro and company representatives last Friday (06/05), during which preparations for the evaluation were also presented.

Equatorial Margin Area Is Sensitive to Exploration and Well Drilling, but the State-Owned Company Guarantees All Necessary Measures for Safe Operations

The Equatorial Margin area, where the company aims to explore oil, is also referred to by Petrobras as Deep Waters of Amapá and involves an area of the Amazon River Mouth Basin, which has high sensitivity due to its fragile ecosystem. This is a region of high density of important species, requiring all possible care for the preservation of life in the area, but the company assures that well drilling will be conducted following all recommendations.

Located in the far north of Amapá, drilling would occur 40 km from the border with Guyana, in a well with a water depth of 2,500 meters, and the company’s Executive Director of Exploration and Production, Fernando Borges, remarked that “With this we expect the return of exploration in the Equatorial Margin, which extends from Amapá to Rio Grande do Norte, given that the last well explored there was in 2015. It is a return for which Petrobras is prepared to meet all requirements for environmental licensing.”

Thus, the company awaits the pre-operational evaluation and hopes to successfully complete the simulation to begin the next stages of exploration and drilling of the planned oil wells in the Equatorial Margin block.