Overview

• The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources granted approval on May 19 after previously rejecting Petrobras’s plan over inadequate assessments.
• Petrobras has begun a preoperational evaluation that includes testing its emergency response capabilities before a final drilling permit is issued.
• Conservation groups warn that oil activities near coral reefs and mangroves could threaten endangered species and bypass required Indigenous consultations.
• The Federal Public Ministry has urged the National Petroleum Agency to halt a June 17 auction of 47 river-mouth blocks due to missing environmental studies.
• Under its 2025–2029 strategy, Petrobras intends to invest $3 billion to drill 15 wells along Brazil’s equatorial margin.