Ibama Lets Petrobras Drill Three More Wells in Foz do Amazonas

Overview

• Ibama retified and expanded Petrobras’s operating license on Thursday to permit three contingent exploratory wells named Manga, PAD Morpho (Morpho Extensão) and Crotalus in block FZA‑M‑59 near the Morpho discovery.
• Petrobras is finishing laboratory analyses of crude samples at its Cenpes research center that industry sources say show a light oil with an API of about 35–40, and the company is studying rig movements with drilling of the new wells expected in roughly three to six months.
• The amended license carries strict mitigation rules including a ban on discarding reservoir drilling cuttings at sea, pre‑inspection of rigs, exotic‑species prevention plans, fauna response centers and a 30‑day deadline to submit an updated drilling schedule.
• The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office flagged inconsistencies between Ibama’s earlier public statements that the campaign would be short and administrative documents that foresee a multi‑well program through 2029, warning of possible cumulative impacts on marine life and coastal communities.
• Separately the ANP approved the indication of 24 Potiguar onshore blocks for future Oferta Permanente cycles including POT‑T‑551 that covers the Ceará farm where ANP tests confirmed crude; landowners do not own subsurface oil but may receive limited compensation if commercial production occurs.