Ibama recommends denying Petrobras' license to drill in the Equatorial Margin; final decision rests with Rodrigo Agostinho
Agency's experts point out flaws in the wildlife rescue plan presented by the state-owned company; Ibama's president will have the final say
247 - Experts from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) have recommended the denial of the environmental license requested by Petrobras to conduct oil exploration studies in the Equatorial Margin region, near Amapá. According to a report from O Globo, the information was confirmed by sources involved in the process. However, the final decision will be up to the president of the agency, Rodrigo Agostinho, who will assess the case based on additional analyses and discussions with other Ibama sectors.
Petrobras had its license request denied in 2023 and appealed the decision. Now, Ibama’s experts believe there is not enough evidence to overturn the recommendation of rejection. The main point of contention is the wildlife rescue plan in case of an oil spill, which analysts consider insufficient.
Petrobras plans to drill a well approximately 160 km off the coast of Oiapoque (AP) and 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon River, in the basin known as Foz do Amazonas. The goal is to assess the economic feasibility of exploration in the region. If the license is granted, it will be the first time Ibama authorizes drilling in this environmentally sensitive area.
In 2018, the agency had already denied five licenses for blocks near well 59 due to the environmental complexity of the region. To meet Ibama's requirements, Petrobras announced the construction of a support base in Oiapoque, expected to be completed in March. The state-owned company also assured that boats would be available for wildlife rescue operations. However, these measures have not yet convinced the agency’s experts.
The environmental licensing process for block FZA-M-59 began on April 4, 2014, at the request of BP Energy do Brasil, the company that originally held the exploration rights. In December 2020, Petrobras took over the project. Since then, the process has been marked by controversies and debates over the environmental impacts of exploration in the region.
Recently, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly criticized Ibama for the delay in authorization. In an interview with Rádio Diário FM from Macapá, Lula stated: "It's not that I’m going to order the exploration, I want it to be explored. (...) What cannot happen is this endless back-and-forth, Ibama is a government agency, and it's looking like it’s working against the government."