KEY POINTS
- Ibama has approved Petrobras to drill three new wells — Manga, Crotalus and PAD Morpho — in block FZA-M-059.
- The regulator imposed strict conditions, including cuttings-recovery requirements and a ban on discharging certain drilling waste into the sea.
- Petrobras confirmed oil in the block in August, with the new wells expected to determine the reservoir’s size and commercial potential.
Brazil’s environmental regulator, Ibama, has approved Petrobras request to drill three additional wells in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, subject to a series of environmental and operational conditions.
The approval allows the Brazilian state-owned oil company to advance exploration in block FZA-M-059, an area that has gained increased attention following the recent confirmation of oil offshore Amapá.
The three new wells, named Manga, Crotalus and PAD Morpho, are expected to help Petrobras determine the size of the reservoir and assess whether the discovery has sufficient commercial potential to support future development.
While granting the drilling licence, Ibama attached several conditions designed to limit environmental risks associated with the deepwater exploration programme.
The regulator authorised Petrobras to use the Amaralista Star (NS-43) drillship for the campaign. However, the vessel cannot begin operations until Petrobras demonstrates that the required modifications for cuttings recovery have been completed.
Ibama must also inspect the drillship before it can be deployed in block FZA-M-059.
One of the key conditions concerns the disposal of drilling cuttings. Materials generated during the reservoir phase of drilling, where the main oil-bearing formation is located, cannot be discharged into the sea.
The same restriction applies to cuttings from shallower reservoirs where the presence of oil has already been confirmed.
Manatee protection included in licence
The licence also contains measures aimed at protecting marine wildlife, particularly manatees in the states of Pará and Amapá.
Petrobras is required to make facilities at two Wildlife Response Centres available for the care and rehabilitation of manatees.
The company must also relocate selected animals to acclimatisation facilities or enclosures when instructed by Ibama.
The conditions reflect the regulator’s effort to balance oil exploration in the environmentally sensitive region with measures aimed at reducing potential impacts on wildlife and the marine environment. Petrobras announced in August that it had confirmed the presence of oil in block FZA-M-059, located offshore Amapá.
The discovery well is approximately 175 kilometres from the Amapá coast and was drilled in water depths of about 2,886 metres.
The confirmation of oil has increased expectations surrounding the wider Foz do Amazonas Basin, which forms part of Brazil’s so-called Equatorial Margin and has attracted significant interest from the oil industry.
The additional wells will provide Petrobras with more geological information and help determine whether the oil-bearing structure is large and commercially viable enough to justify further investment. The authorisation to drill three additional wells marks an important step in Petrobras’ exploration campaign in the basin.
However, the company will still need to comply with Ibama’s operational and environmental requirements before the additional drilling work can proceed.
If the new wells confirm the extent and quality of the reservoir, the results could strengthen the case for further exploration and potential development of oil resources in the region.
For Petrobras, the programme is also significant as the company seeks to expand its resource base and maintain production growth through new offshore discoveries.
