20 October 2025 – Petrobras received the operating license from Brazil’s environmental agency IBAMA to drill an exploratory well in Block FZA-M-059, located roughly 175 km off the coast of Amapá and about 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon River, in Brazil’s Equatorial Margin. Drilling operations are set to begin immediately, with an estimated duration of five months.
The approval follows completion of the Pre-Operational Assessment (APO) in August 2025 which served as the final stage of the environmental licensing process. IBAMA validated Petrobras’ emergency response plan and operational readiness before granting the license on 24 September 2025.
The company emphasized that this authorization marks a key step in Brazil’s pursuit of a new offshore frontier, combining technical excellence and environmental protection. According to Petrobras, the exploratory campaign aims to gather geological data to assess the presence of oil and gas in the region, with no production activities planned at this stage.
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