Political stalemate and lack of research hinder sustainable exploration of Foz do Amazonas

Manaus (AM) – The blocking of the drilling license in the FZA-M-59 block, in the Foz do Amazonas basin, announced by the president of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), Rodrigo Agostinho, in April, established a climate of tension between the Ministries of Environment and Mines and Energy. Mainly, after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) speech, who declared that he finds it ‘difficult’ that drilling in the region causes environmental problems in the region.

In the latest updates on the case, the Commission for the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Chamber of Deputies held, on Wednesday (31), a public hearing to discuss the exploration of oil and gas. The president of Ibama, Rodrigo Agostinho, the Petrobras licensing manager, Danielle Lombra and the General Coordinator of Programs and Projects of the Mines and Energy portfolio, Carlos Agenor Onofre Cabral, took part in the audience.

Federal deputy Fausto Júnior (União Brasil), declared to the In time that Congress is open to dialogue, thinking of the population that cannot be insecure in the face of the country’s decisions. He claimed that the public hearing on the issue of oil exploration with those involved did not provide sufficient explanations and that the discussion should continue.

“The explanations were still not enough. So, the discussion must continue and we intend to request new meetings and they will have my support in the Commissions that I am part of, so that the population and we parliamentarians can confront the information in search of the best for Amazonas and for Brazil”,

declared the federal deputy.

Fausto Júnior positioned himself in favor of sustainable oil exploration in the region, stating that it could bring numerous benefits, such as reserves of 30 billion barrels, investments of almost US$ 3 billion and a potential revenue of US$ 200 billion. The deputy pointed out that it is essential to strengthen the Manaus Free Trade Zone, allowing more investments in industries that do not pollute and, above all, prevent the cutting down of the forest.

“In short, it is essential that we consider all these aspects in our discussion. We must seek a balance between environmental preservation and economic development, promoting sustainable investments that benefit both the population and nature”.

After Ibama’s decision, the leader of the Lula government in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, broke with the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva (Rede) and left the Rede Sustentabilidade party. Randolfe Rodrigues published several criticisms of Ibama. Federal deputy Captain Alberto Neto (PL-AM) stated that in the specific case of exploration of the Amazon River, Petrobras has ‘expertise’ in deep-sea pre-salt exploration and sees no environmental impact.

“There is a clear ill will on the part of Minister Marina, who does not want to explore the equatorial margin close to the region, which is not that close, it is 500 kilometers from the coast of Amapá. She was present here in the Chamber, in the commissions and showed that she has no interest in this exploration, that she sees this exploitation by Petrobras as something harmful to the environment and then she gives some rather weak justifications”,

declared.

Alberto Neto declared that the country will have, with extraction, more resources to protect the forest, to improve the life of the people and that environmental controversies are just ‘in the head’ of Marina Silva.

“We are going to have resources to protect the forest more, to improve the life of our people, they are the ones who keep the forest standing by occupying that territory. They are Brazilians and cannot be considered second-rate Brazilians. So, these environmental controversies are on Marina Silva’s mind. They are not in the minds of those who want a bigger country, who want to see a country growing in the right way. Petrobras has already shown that it has the greatest expertise in deep water exploration and this gives us confidence that we will not have environmental impacts”,

stated.

During the public hearing, the president of Ibama also commented that no license for environmental exploitation will be granted by ‘pendant’ and that the agency will follow the technical criteria. The Institute continues to analyze a Petrobras request for reconsideration for the drilling of a well 500km from the mouth of the Amazon River.

Federal deputy Amom Mandel (Cidadania-AM), stated that every study is subject to questioning, as long as it is based on proper technical and scientific grounds. Mandel stated that IBAMA’s decision must be respected, but it must be subject to revision whenever they present the due impact studies and other requirements.

“Decisions always have to be technical; this means that, on the one hand, Lula cannot force the approval of a measure like this without taking into account all the requirements from the environmental point of view, but the opponents of exploration cannot be irreducible in their decisions by not allowing the presentation of new studies and new evidence, as is natural in the scientific environment, since two of the main characteristics of scientific approaches are precisely testing and ‘retesting’, which are technically called ‘falsifiability’”, said the deputy

Why explore?

The new bet for exploration by Petrobras, which is on the equatorial margin of Rio Grande do Norte to Oiapoque (AP) and joins the Foz do Amazonas, Pará-Maranhão, Barreirinhas, Ceará and Potiguar basins, has been at an impasse for 10 years for the release exploration in the region.

The frontier is considered to have great potential, where more than 11 billion barrels of oil have already been discovered. The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), called the region the ‘new pre-salt’ and it is important for Petrobras to increase its reserves.

The oil company has reserved around US$ 3 billion in the 2023-2027 plan for drilling 16 exploratory wells and spends more than US$ 500 per day with the rig stopped at the site. In a note, Petrobras claimed to receive the rejection of the environmental licensing process with surprise and will continue to seek this license and reconsideration at the administrative level.

In response, the company also stated that with the contrary decision, the country relinquishes the right to confirm the potential that could contribute to the economic development of the North and Northeast regions of the country.

environmental clash

The president of Ibama, Rodrigo Agostinho, listed the problems encountered by Ibama for not granting the environmental license to the oil company, such as the distance of 800km, or two days by boat, from the drilling site to the point of support for emergencies with an environmental impact. which is in Belém (PA).

Oiapoque (AP) only has access via a helicopter stop and all possible assistance for fauna and flora accidents is carried out in Belém. The exploration area has been poorly studied and has knowledge gaps. Another impediment indicated by Ibama was the lack of an Environmental Assessment of the Sedimentary Area (AAAS) and that Petrobras cannot guarantee that any trace of oil will not reach the coast.

The geographer and environmentalist, director of WCS Brasil (Association for the Conservation of Wild Life), Carlos Durigan, stated that since 2012 there has been a need for a broader and more in-depth study of the region to be explored and that carrying out the AAAS would be very important for assess the risks to be associated.

“This study could provide more elements for the government and national society to decide on facing the challenge and its associated risks. It is also important to highlight that in the global climate agreements on the Planet, there are indications and recommendations on the importance of limiting new investments in the expansion of oil exploration and production fronts and the need to invest in clean energy. This is an important and responsible point when considering new fronts”,

stated.

Researcher from the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), Dr. Lucas Ferrante, claimed that it is important to say that there is no environmental viability of the project, the time for the plan to contain a leak in the region is after forty-eight hours, which would cause a spread of the spilled oil, affecting marine life, the coral reefs and the whole region, which mainly depends on fishing. That is, the impacts would be environmental as well as social.

“Due to these aspects, it is what makes a region of socio-environmental sensitivity. So in this way, in a case of fracture and oil leakage, the impacts on marine life and fish would affect not only the entire marine biota, but also the fishing communities that depend on this marine fauna. There is no way to carry out this exploration with little environmental damage, because there is no containment plan in case of leakage that is efficient, fast, enough to avoid a huge ecosystem disaster”,

declared.

Read more:

Petrobras asks for reconsideration to explore Foz do Amazonas

Lula finds it “difficult” that exploration at Foz do Amazonas generate environmental damage

Help from Petrobras would take 43 hours in case of leakage at the mouth of the Amazon, says Ibama