Petrobras tests incident response capabilities at the mouth of the Amazon

Petrobras and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) plan to begin this Sunday 24th the pre-operational assessment (APO) in the offshore block FZA-M-59, located in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, in the so-called Equatorial Margin .

The APO is a comprehensive emergency drill, the final step in obtaining an environmental license for oil exploration. The drill was scheduled after months of negotiations between the state-owned company and the agency within the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) that grants the authorization.

The Equatorial Margin is seen by the oil industry as a new exploration frontier, with enormous production potential. However, the proximity of sensitive ecosystems in the region raises concerns about the impacts of the activity. The offshore block FZA-M-59 is located in deep waters, 175 kilometers off the coast of Oiapoque, in Amapá.

The NS-42 rig has been positioned since Monday evening, the 18th, at the Morpho 1-APS-57 well, where drilling will take place, if authorized. Several other pieces of equipment and structures will also be used during the drill.

The simulated procedure should last three to four days, and may vary depending on the conditions for carrying out the planned activities.

Prepared structure

During the APO, the effectiveness of the emergency plan proposed by Petrobras to Ibama is verified through simulations.

The simulations will test, in practice, the response capacity in the event of oil spill accidents, including equipment efficiency, response agility, compliance with scheduled wildlife response times, and communication with authorities and stakeholders.

According to Petrobras , the simulated exercise will involve more than 400 people. The mobilized structure includes:

• a probe;
• three helicopters;
• six vessels equipped for oil containment and collection, two of which are always close to the drill ship (OSRV);
• an airplane;
• two wildlife care units (in Belém and Oiapoque);
• six vessels to respond to wildlife.

Fauna Rehabilitation and De-oiling Center maintained by Petrobras in Belém for exploration on the Equatorial Margin – Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil

The aircraft can be used for aeromedical rescue, wildlife rescue, and monitoring. More than 100 professionals will be dedicated to animal protection, including veterinarians, biologists, and other professionals qualified to work with wildlife, according to Petrobras.

The procedure is similar to what the state-owned company carried out in 2023 to obtain a drilling license for the Pitu Oeste and Anhangá wells, on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte.

Petrobras President Magda Chambriard has said that the company will bring to Amapá “the largest incident response structure ever mobilized by the company.”

New frontier

The Equatorial Margin has gained notoriety in recent years, being considered a promising new area for oil and gas exploration. Recent oil discoveries off the coasts of Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname, neighboring countries to the north, have demonstrated the exploratory potential of the region, located near the equator.

In Brazil, the area stretches from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá. Petrobras has wells in the new exploratory frontier, but for now, it only has authorization from Ibama to drill the two off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte.

In May 2023, Ibama denied licenses for other areas, such as the Foz do Amazonas Basin. Petrobras requested reconsideration and is awaiting the decision.

In addition to the company, government sectors, including the Ministry of Mines and Energy and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva himself, are advocating for the license to be issued. In Congress, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) has been a key player in expediting and authorizing the license.

According to Petrobras, waiting for an exploration license costs the company millions of dollars a day.

Pressure from environmentalists

The exploration is criticized by environmentalists, concerned about potential environmental impacts. They also perceive it as a contradiction to the energy transition, which involves replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources that emit fewer greenhouse gases, responsible for global warming.

Protesters participate in the Climate March in Rio de Janeiro – Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil

Petrobras insists that oil production from the Equatorial Margin is a strategic decision to avoid importing oil in the next decade. The state-owned company emphasizes that, despite the name "Foz do Amazonas," the location is 540 kilometers from the mouth of the river itself.

In early August, a statement from the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) advocated for more research before authorizing drilling for oil.