Brazil advances Amazon oil exploration ahead of climate conference
After several rejections, Petrobras secured approval from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources for its wildlife protection plan. The decision allows the company to proceed to a preoperational evaluation phase.
This stage includes live emergency simulations to test Petrobras' response capabilities. The success of these tests will be key to the environmental authority's final decision whether to issue a drilling license.
Petrobras aims to drill a well about 109 miles off the coast of Amapá state, in a maritime zone known as Block 59. The company says the activity will be low-impact and time-limited. Still, the project has sparked widespread environmental and social concerns.
Environmental groups and experts have warned about the risks to the mouth of the Amazon River, an ecologically rich region and home to coral reefs, mangroves and endangered species.
They also point to a lack of comprehensive environmental studies and the failure to consult Indigenous communities, as required under International Labor Organization Convention 169.
The environmental institute' s stance on the project has shifted over time.
Throughout 2023, its technical staff repeatedly recommended denying Petrobras permits to drill, citing inadequate environmental assessments and serious risks to biodiversity and local communities.
Despite those recommendations, the authority's leadership approved Petrobras' latest protection plan May 19.
Claudio Angelo, international policy coordinator at Observatório do Clima -- a Brazilian network of 90 climate-focused organizations -- said the plan's approval amounts to a capitulation to pressure from the state-run oil company.
He warned the move could pave the way for auctioning 47 additional blocks at the mouth of the Amazon River, which he described as a setback for environmental protection in Brazil.
An investigative report by InfoAmazonia found that Petrobras' strategic plan for 2025 to 2029 includes drilling 15 wells along Brazil's equatorial margin. The company plans to invest $3 billion in the project, representing 38% of its five-year budget for new oil and gas exploration, including projects in both Brazil and Colombia.
Brazil's Federal Public Ministry has urged the National Petroleum Agency to suspend the auction of the 47 blocks, scheduled for June 17, citing the absence of required environmental studies and consultations with Indigenous peoples.
Although the ministry's recommendations are not legally binding, ignoring them without justification can trigger civil or criminal legal action.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defended the project, saying oil exploration is essential for national development, and that revenues could support the country's transition to clean energy.
Still, his position has drawn criticism for contradicting Brazil's climate commitments, especially with the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in November in Belém, a city in Brazil's Amazon region.
The event will bring together world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organizations and advocates to discuss and negotiate global climate action. Brazil is expected to play a central role in the talks.
It will be the first time a COP is held in the Amazon, underscoring the region's importance in the global climate agenda.
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