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Legislative initiative aims to accelerate debates and unlock environmental licensing in one of the most promising regions for oil exploration in the country, the Equatorial Margin.
The Senate Infrastructure Committee approved, last Tuesday (29), the formation of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of Oil Exploration on the Equatorial Margin, a strategic step to foster national energy development and unblock environmental bottlenecks that currently limit the sector's performance. The project, authored by Senator Zequinha Marinho (Podemos-PA), now goes to a vote in the Plenary, with the objective of formalizing a supra-partisan group dedicated to the issue.
The proposal reinforces the Legislature's interest in expanding Brazil's presence on the Equatorial Margin, a coastal strip between Amapá and Rio Grande do Norte, which is home to potential mineral deposits. oil still unexplored. The region is considered by experts and technical bodies as one of the most promising for the expansion of national production.
Legislative debates seek to unblock environmental licenses on the Equatorial Margin
One of the main points of attention highlighted by parliamentarians is the impasse surrounding environmental licensing, especially in the Foz do Amazonas basin.
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Petrobras, for example, is awaiting authorization to drill in block FZ-M-59, located in deep waters off the state of Amapá.
The delay in release, according to senators, compromises the economic viability of projects and drives away investments.
During the session, Senator Jayme Campos (União-MT), rapporteur of the proposal, highlighted that the Parliamentary Front could play a decisive role in mediating between environmental interests and the need for progress in the energy sector.
“The proposal could speed up the outcome of the issue regarding environmental licensing. Once this impasse is resolved, it will be possible to explore oil wells in the region in a responsible and economically viable manner, with all the benefits that this can provide.”
Rush for results and criticism of excessive demands
The author of the proposal, Zequinha Marinho, pointed out the urgency of speeding up the procedures for exploration of oil on the Equatorial Margin, warning of the risk of political decisions negatively interfering in the country's energy agenda.
“From our perspective, we believe there is plenty of oil and gas in that region, but we are also in a hurry to do so. We have the COP [United Nations Climate Change Conference] ahead of us, and I have no doubt that the Ministry of the Environment will not take the proposal to create a marine park in that equatorial region to the President of the Republic during the COP, which could freeze any possibility of exploration.”
According to Zequinha, Ibama's demands are beyond what is reasonable and are blocking a strategic sector at a crucial moment for the Brazilian economy.
North and Northeast can be protagonists in the new energy cycle
Another supporter of the Front, Senator Lucas Barreto (PSD-AP), highlighted the direct impact that the exploration of the Equatorial Margin can have on regional development.
He highlighted that the Northern states face historical inequalities and that investments in oil can generate jobs, income and infrastructure.
“Oil prospecting off the coast of Amapá is a redemption for many Brazilian states. Everyone knows that Brazil is currently going through very difficult times. The economy is in a very complicated situation, and in the North it is no different: it is much worse.”
What does the Parliamentary Front intend to do?
The Parliamentary Front will be composed of parliamentarians from different parties and states, and its mission will be:
- Promote technical and legislative discussions on oil exploration in the Equatorial Margin;
- Work with environmental agencies to speed up the granting of licenses;
- Promote public and private investment in the region;
- Propose policies that balance economic development and environmental protection.
The senators' expectation is that, with the institutional support of Congress, Brazil can transform the Equatorial Margin into a new energy production base, strengthening its international position in the oil and gas sector.
