Petrobras is preparing a request for IBAMA’s reconsideration of studies for oil exploration – News of Brazil

Douglas Lima
Editor

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) is in the process of drawing up an appeal against Ibama’s decision to prevent studies for oil and gas exploration in the Equatorial Margin, the sedimentary geological basin in the Atlantic Ocean, which runs from Cape Orange, in Amapá, to Rio Grande do Norte.

The information was given on the morning of this Wednesday, 24, by senator Randolph Rodrigues, in the program ‘LuizMeloEntrevista’ (Radio Diário FM 90.9). According to him, Petrobras’ appeal must be signed and filed by Friday, the 26th.

The parliamentarian pointed out that the state-owned company’s measure was originated in the light of a long meeting, this Tuesday (23), between the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, Ministry of the Environment, Petrobras and Ibama, in which he also participated.

Petrobras, in turn, released a release, also this Wednesday morning, informing that the appeal now being prepared is a request to Ibama to reconsider the decision to reject the environmental license for drilling an exploratory well in block FZA-M-059, located in deep waters of Amapá, in accordance with the procedure provided for in the regulation.

“The company argues that it met the requirements set out in the legislation referring to the bidding process for block FZA-M-059 and that it met all the technical requirements demanded by Ibama for the project”says Petróleo Brasileiro SA.

In the appeal, Petrobras will be ready to meet additional demands that may remain. “It is important to emphasize that the Sedimentary Area Environmental Assessment (AAAS) is a policy instrument under the shared responsibility of the Ministries of Environment (MMA) and Mines and Energy (MME,) in accordance with interministerial decree No198/2012”says the release.

Block FZA-M-59 was acquired in the 11th Bidding Round of the ANP, in May 2013. At the time, the granting process of the blocks offered was subsidized by opinions of the GT PEG- Working Group, which included Ibama, ICMBIO and MMA, and considered that the block was able to be offered and licensed.

Petrobras also states that it has a commitment signed with the ANP to drill eight exploratory wells in the Amapá region, in the sedimentary basin at the mouth of the Amazon River, and rejection due to environmental unfeasibility may result in litigation and the application of fines, in addition to compromising the assessment of the region’s potential, as well as energy security and the country’s own just and safe energy transition.

In the interview at Radio Diário FM 90.9, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues showed an image of a drillship that Petrobras maintains off the Atlantic, duly equipped and prepared to be operated in the prospecting scheduled by the company.

The parliamentarian said that the image of the probe vessel clarifies some improprieties or misinformation about the location of the point where there may be studies and subsequent exploration of oil and gas.

“It is not at the mouth of the Amazon River, but 540 kilometers from it, 172 kilometers from the mouth of the Oiapoque River, 50 kilometers from the maritime border with French Guiana and 80 kilometers from the French exploratory well”, described the senator.

“Sometimes there are evils that come for good”. Senator Randolfe used this popular jargon when he recalled that Ibama argued that Petrobras had designed, in the event of an accident, a fauna stabilization base in Belém do Pará.

“In the Petrobras resource there is a commitment to the installation of an animal stabilization base, in the municipality of Oiapoque, in Amapá, thus expanding the protection of the fauna displaced in the possibility of an accident during the studies and the future exploration of oil and gas on the Margin Equatorial”clarified Randolfe Rodrigues.

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