Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, has been granted a license to conduct exploratory oil drilling in the ocean off the Amazon, a decision that has sparked significant environmental concerns.
The approved permit allows Petrobras to drill in a designated block located in Amapá, approximately 500 kilometers (311 miles) from the Amazon River’s mouth, within the Brazilian Equatorial Margin.
Petrobras asserts that it has successfully demonstrated to the government the presence of robust environmental protection measures for the project.
However, conservationists have voiced apprehensions regarding the plan, particularly the potential for oil spills to reach the Amazon region via ocean currents, threatening the habitat of approximately 10% of the world’s known species.
Organizations such as Greenpeace have also expressed concerns that the project could undermine Brazil’s standing as a climate leader, especially as the nation prepares to host the COP30 climate summit in Belém, an Amazonian city, in November.
The International Energy Agency has emphasized that achieving net-zero global emissions by 2050 necessitates the cessation of approvals for new oil projects.
Petrobras stated that drilling is scheduled to commence “immediately” and is expected to last for five months. The company aims to assess the economic viability of oil and gas reserves in the area.
Commercial oil production is not planned at this stage.
Brazil’s Environment Minister, Marina Silva, has previously opposed oil exploration in the Amazon region.
In contrast, President Lula da Silva has expressed support for the project, citing economic benefits, and has defended his position.
In September, President Lula told the BBC: “Brazil is a country that has oil. And possibly we have oil in the Equatorial Margin, and we are making surveys. We’re following the law strictly.”
He added that in the event of a problem or oil spill, “we will be the ones that are liable and responsible to take care of the problem, if it comes”.
“I am totally in favour of a world one day that will not need any more fossil fuels, but this moment has not come yet,” he stated.
“I want to know [of] any country on the planet that is prepared to have an energy transition and can give up fossil fuels.”
Several other international oil companies, including Exxonmobil and Chevron, have acquired “blocks” in the Amazon region and are awaiting exploration licenses.
Petrobras has affirmed its commitment to ensuring Brazil’s “energy security and the resources needed for a just energy transition.”
The company further stated that it is able to “demonstrate the robustness of the entire environmental protection structure that will be available during drilling.”
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