Petrobras Gets Go-Ahead for Exploratory Drilling Near Mouth of Amazon River

Foresea NS-42 (ODN-II) drillship (Credit: Foresea)

Petrobras has received the environmental license from Brazil’s environmental agency Ibama to drill an exploratory well in block FZA-M-059, located in deep waters off Amapá, near the mouth of the Amazon river.

The well is located in 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon river and 175 km from the coast, on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin.

The drillship, Foresea NS-42 (ODN-II), is already at the well site, and drilling is expected to start immediately, with an estimated duration of five months.

Through this exploratory activity, the company aims to gather additional geological data and assess whether there is oil and gas in the area at an economic scale. There is no oil production at this stage, according to Petrobras.

“Petrobras has met all requirements set forth by Ibama, fully adhering to the environmental licensing process. As a final stage of evaluation, in August the company conducted an on-site simulation, called Pre-Operational Assessment (APO), through which Ibama verified Petrobras' capacity and the effectiveness of its emergency response plan,” the company said in a statement.

Petrobras reiterated its full committed to the development of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, recognizing the importance of new frontiers to guarantee Brazil's energy security and access the resources needed for a fair energy transition.