Ibama and Petrobras reached an agreement to make an emergency simulation on the equatorial margin on the coast of Amapá. The exercise will be the last step before the evaluation that can release the license for oil exploration in the region.
The action is scheduled for the 24th and is part of the Pre-Operational Assessment (APO), required by the environmental agency. The simulation will have a estimated duration of three to four days and will include procedures to evaluate the response to a possible oil leakage in the Foz do Amazonas basin.
According to Petrobras’s Director of Exploration and Production, Sylvia dos Anjos, the date will be maintained if the simulation occurs without complications. There are still logistical details in definition, such as team displacement to areas that are difficult to access and use of specific equipment.
Senate President David Alcolumbre (Union-AP) celebrated the hit between Ibama and the state, calling him “a victory of Amapá and Brazil”. The parliamentarian is one of the main defenders of exploration on the equatorial margin, which can benefit economically his state.
The Fza-M-59 block, the target of the evaluation, is about 170 kilometers from the coast of Oiapoque (AP) and may contain up to 30 billion barrels of oil. Petrobras has already positioned a drill ship on the North Coast, which will go to the drilling area after authorization.
The equatorial margin is seen as a new exploratory oil and gas border in Brazil, with pre-salt-like potential. The sea range extends from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá and aroused greater interest after recent discoveries in neighboring countries such as Guyana and Suriname.
In May 2023, Ibama denied the license for drilling in the Foz do Amazonas basin. Since then, Petrobras has been adapting its project to meet environmental requirements. The federal government estimates that exploration can generate up to R $ 1 trillion in revenues.
Environmentalists are still contrary to license release, alleging risks to biodiversity and impact on energy transition goals. Petrobras states that it will adopt strict safety standards and highlights that the drilling area is 540 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon River.
