New Poll Shows Sharp Drop in Opposition to Petrobras’ Equatorial Margin Drilling

Overview

• A Genial/Quaest survey conducted November 6–9 finds opposition to exploration in the Equatorial Margin fell from 70% in October to 49%, while support rose from 26% to 42%.
• The nationally representative poll interviewed 2,004 Brazilians aged 16 or older and carries a margin of error of two percentage points.
• Regional results show the Northeast as the only area with plurality support at 46% in favor versus 44% against, while the Southeast registers 38% approval and 51% opposition.
• Political splits shifted, with self‑identified Lula voters moving from a majority opposed in October to a majority supportive now, as Bolsonarist identifiers remain mostly against and the non‑Bolsonarist right is nearly evenly divided.
• Ibama granted Petrobras a license on October 20 for an exploratory well in the Foz do Amazonas basin, described by the company as a non‑production research phase expected to last about five months, and Petrobras has earmarked roughly US$3 billion for the area in its 2025–2029 plan.