Foz do Amazonas: Ibama predicts maximum environmental impact – 01/30/2024 – Environment

The degree of environmental impact of the oil exploration project in the Foz do Amazonas basin, under the responsibility of Petrobras, reached maximum scale, with a high magnitude of negative impact, influence on biodiversity formed by species threatened with extinction and compromise of areas still unknown.

The calculation was made by Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and is described in detail in documents obtained by Sheet. Part of the reports was accessed through the Access to Information Law.

The drilling of the so-called block 59, planned by Petrobras and the Lula (PT) government for 2024, had an environmental impact calculated at 0.5%. The scale varies from 0 to 0.5%, according to current legislation — the index, therefore, reached the maximum possible.

The main components of the indicator — magnitude of impacts, biodiversity, persistence of impacts and commitment to priority areas — were also defined at their maximum values, which led to the index of 0.5%.

Petrobras did not respond to the report’s questions.

A previous attempt at oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas basin, abandoned by Petrobras after an accident at the well site, also contained a maximum magnitude of potential environmental impacts. The final index, however, was lower than that of the current project: 0.28%.

The block was FZA-4, which is located at a distance of 110 km to 126 km from the coast. The nearest city is Oiapoque (AP). Block 59 is very close, 160 km to 179 km from the coast, also towards the city in the far north of Amapá.

The degree of impact is calculated by Ibama to define the amount to be paid as environmental compensation, in the case of large-scale projects such as drilling an oil well. The legislation determines that compensation must be made, with resources transferred to federal conservation units, for example.

The first drilling project in Foz do Amazonas, which ended up frustrated, was supposed to result in the payment of environmental compensation estimated at R$ 140 thousand, money to be donated to the Cabo Orange National Park, an important and delicate conservation area for mangroves and floodable fields, in the Oiapoque region.

The value was defined by multiplying the degree of impact —0.28%— and the amount to be spent on the project, R$50 million.

Report published by Sheet on December 10, 2023, he revealed that Petrobras had been delaying, until that moment, the payment of environmental compensation, in a process that had been dragging on for nine years. Despite the accident that occurred and the abandonment of the project, there is an obligation to deposit money to review the Cape Orange management plan. The value was updated to R$282 thousand.

The environmental compensation for drilling in block 59, mandatory by law, has a much higher value. Ibama defined this value as R$4.3 million.

To arrive at the amount, the environmental agency took into account the calculated degree of impact –0.5%– and the reference value of the project –R$859.6 million– reported by Petrobras.

The Ibama opinions that defined the size of the environmental impact of drilling in the block and the value of environmental compensation were prepared in April 2022. In May 2023, the president of Ibama, Rodrigo Agostinho, followed a technical opinion from the body and denied the granting of license to drill the well.

Petrobras appeals against the decision and, in a speech aligned with that of the Lula government, plans to prospect for oil at this point on the Amazon coast in 2024.

The Brazilian president has already denied a proposal, made by the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to abandon new oil exploration projects in the Amazon, which covers eight countries that are part of a cooperation treaty. Lula’s stance, in favor of new fossil fuel ventures, contradicts government goals and plans to mitigate greenhouse gases.

According to Ibama, well drilling in Foz do Amazonas has 18 negative impacts, 4 of which are of high magnitude, such as changes in the behavior of aquatic mammals and turtles and changes in the quality of sediments due to the disposal of gravel.

“In the study area, there are five species of sea turtles, several species of birds and species of marine mammals threatened with extinction at national and/or global level”, cites the opinion that resulted in an impact level of 0.5% .

Still according to Ibama’s technical area, impacts such as the introduction of exotic species and contribution to the greenhouse effect through gas emissions are characterized as “negative and irreversible, the effect of which will last for more than 30 years”. Thus, the so-called temporality index had a maximum value of 4, on a scale of 0 to 4.

The block to be explored is in a priority area, called the jagged Amazon cone, with an importance that is “insufficiently known”, according to the opinion. The priority area commitment index was then calculated at 3, also the maximum value on the scale from 0 to 3.

In the case of the previous drilling project, in the FZA-4 block, Ibama pointed out in a 2011 document the existence of 21 negative impacts.

“Eight refer to potential impacts related to accidental events with spills of oil, diesel and chemical products that could have disastrous consequences, with severe damage to several sensitive habitats, in the case of eventual large spills in which the oil reaches the coast”, quotes the opinion.

An accident occurred in December 2011, during drilling activities in the block, as stated in documents from Ibama and the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) in Amapá. The episode led Petrobras to abandon the drilled well “after the strong currents in the region caused an accident that culminated in the loss of position of the SS-52 probe”, stated an Ibama opinion.

Some equipment could only be collected four days later, “due to strong currents that prevented the team from working.” “According to Petrobras, the accident caused a small hydraulic oil leak.” The project was abandoned for good in 2016.

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The impact of drilling in block 59

Degree of environmental impact: 0.5% (maximum value on the scale, which goes from 0 to 0.5%)

> It is calculated to define the value of environmental compensation

Magnitude index: 3 (maximum value on the scale, which ranges from 0 to 3)

> It is one of the components of the degree of impact; measures the magnitude of the negative impact

Biodiversity index: 3 (maximum value on the scale, also from 0 to 3)

> It is another component of the degree of impact; measures biodiversity before development

Priority area commitment index: 3 (maximum value on the scale, from 0 to 3)

> It also makes up the degree of impact; highlights the biological importance of the impacted area

Value of environmental compensation: BRL 4,298,172.79

The impact of drilling in the FZA-4 block

Degree of environmental impact: 0.28%

Magnitude index: 3

Biodiversity index: 3

Priority area commitment index: two

Value of environmental compensation: R$ 282,072.32

_{Sources: Ibama, ICMBio and decree nº 6,848, of 2009}