Petrobras Starts Foz do Amazonas Drilling After Ibama Approval

Overview

• Petrobras began drilling the Morpho exploratory well on October 20 at 17:52, about 175 km off Amapá, launching a five‑month campaign to collect geological data.
• Company officials detailed a planned total depth of 7,081 meters, including 2,880 meters of water, and said the target rock is similar to formations in the Campos Basin.
• Petrobras described a broader Margem Equatorial program, holding 30 blocks and planning eight exploratory wells in the Foz do Amazonas across six blocks, with recent acreage acquired alongside Exxon.
• Ibama president Rodrigo Agostinho publicly rejected claims of political interference and said waiting until after COP30 to issue the license would be hypocritical.
• Environmental researchers warn the area is ecologically fragile and argue a major spill would be hard to contain, challenging Petrobras’ assurances about emergency response.