March 27 – Petrobras announced the renewal of the operating license from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) for drilling the Mãe de Ouro well, which is located in deep waters in the Potiguar Basin.
The license allows the drilling of three wells: Mãe de Ouro, Inhame, and Taianga. The wells are located in blocks BM-POT-17 and POT-M-762, in the Potiguar Basin, intended for oil and gas.
The Mãe de Ouro well is located in deep waters, 52 kilometers off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, at a depth of over 2,000 meters, and represents the main well indicating oil potential on the equatorial margin.
According to the government of Rio Grande do Norte, Petrobras is confident in the potential of the Mãe de Ouro well, expecting that the volume will enable production in the region.
This is the third exploratory well in deep waters in the Potiguar Basin.
In the same region, the Pitu Oeste and Anhangá wells have already been drilled, located in blocks BM-POT-17 and POT-M-762. Both are part of the federal government’s Growth Acceleration Program (PAC).
Petrobras also the announcement of an investment of over R$ 1.5 billion for the decommissioning of old wells that are no longer producing.
Potiguar Basin
The Potiguar Basin is located on the Equatorial Margin, which extends for more than 2,200 km along the coast between Rio Grande do Norte and Oiapoque, in Amapá. The region is considered the newest Brazilian exploratory frontier in deep and ultra-deep waters, and has been called the “new pre-salt”.
For environmentalists, however, oil activity in the region could result in probable environmental tragedies, which would directly affect the Amazonian territory. In addition to the Potiguar Basin, the basins of the Amazon River Mouth, Pará-Maranhão, Barreirinhas, and Ceará are also included.
The Equatorial Margin is considered a “new frontier” by the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) because it is an area in the initial stages of exploration, but with the potential to possess oil reserves.
Recent Petrobras Discoveries in Rio Grande do Norte in the Potiguar Basin:
Oil in the deepwater Anhangá exploratory well, in April 2024. According to the company, the discovered oil accumulation was found at a water depth of 2,196 meters and 79 km off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. The Anhangá well is located near the border between the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte – it is about 190 km from Fortaleza and 250 km from Natal.
Hydrocarbon in the Pitu Oeste deepwater exploratory well in January 2024. According to Petrobras, the well was 52 km off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. The presence of the substance was, however, inconclusive regarding economic viability, according to Petrobras.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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