Petrobras Begins Foz do Amazonas Drilling After Ibama License

Overview

• The Morpho exploratory well in block FZA-M-059 began on Oct. 20 at 17:52 following Ibama’s authorization, launching a roughly five‑month campaign to collect data and assess economic viability.
• Ibama president Rodrigo Agostinho called waiting until after COP30 to decide "a great hypocrisy" and denied political interference in the licensing process.
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva endorsed research on the Equatorial Margin, saying Brazil cannot abandon fossil fuels overnight and pledging environmental responsibility.
• Petrobras outlined a broader push on the Equatorial Margin, holding 30 blocks and planning eight exploratory wells in the Foz do Amazonas basin.
• Transpetro will study a potential logistics hub in Amapá to support operations if discoveries prove significant, with locations such as Calçoene and Santana under evaluation.