Petrobras simulation on the Equatorial Margin for Ibama drilling license scheduled for Aug 24th

Aug.13 (PN) Petrobras appears closer than ever to obtaining the long-awaited environmental license to drill in the promising Foz do Amazonas basin, off the coast of Amapá, within the so-called Equatorial Margin. Technicians from the company and the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) this week finalized the details for the Pre-Operational Assessment (POA), a type of simulation that will evaluate the oil company’s response capacity in the event of an oil spill. The activity, the last before the issuance of the final environmental license, is expected to take place on August 24th. However, at the time of this report, the exact date had not yet been officially confirmed by IBAMA or Petrobras.

One of the main supporters of exploration activities in the Equatorial Margin, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, celebrated the progress. “I received with great expectations the news about the progress in the stages of oil exploration research in the Equatorial Margin. The date for the pre-operational assessment will likely be the 24th, depending on the assessment by technicians from Ibama and Petrobras. This is a victory for Amapá and Brazil. A milestone, the result of the commitment and joint work of several actors who advocate for a sustainable energy future for our country,” he declared in a statement.

Petrobras’ Director of Exploration and Production, Sylvia Anjos, also stated that the company has reached an agreement with Ibama to execute the APO. “We are closer than we were. I am optimistic,” the executive told reporters during an event in Rio de Janeiro.

Petrobras contracted the ODN-II drillship, owned by Foresea, to drill in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. However, the agreement with the vessel expires in October. The well scheduled for drilling is located more than 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon River and more than 160 km from the coastline, in the open ocean. Petrobras’ strategic plan for the period 2025 to 2029 calls for the drilling of approximately 30 wells on the Equatorial Margin (eight of which are in the Foz do Amazonas Basin alone), an area stretching from the coast of Amapá to Rio Grande do Norte.