The licensing process for Petrobras to drill an oil well in block 59, in the region of the mouth of the Amazon River, is at an advanced stage of processing. After submitting environmental studies, the emergency plan and a disaster response simulation are awaiting approval from Ibama (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). Privately, experts say that if the test is successful, the license should be approved almost automatically. As a consequence, there is concern that this release will trigger a cascading effect for other blocks not yet explored in the region, which is considered environmentally sensitive.
The area of the mouth of the Amazon sedimentary basin was granted by the ANP (National Petroleum Agency) in 2013 and is part of the Brazilian equatorial margin, which runs from Amapá to Rio Grande do Norte. Block 59 is located approximately 160 km from the coast of Oiapoque (AP) and 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon River itself.
At the time of the concession, the environmental fragility of the region was acknowledged by a technical opinion. The document mentions the biodiversity and the richness of fishing resources in the place, also pointing out that there is a lack of studies to know more about the place. The area is also home to the largest mangroves in Brazil, on the coast of Amapá, and immense systems of coral reefs, which were recently discovered and about which very little is known.
Translated by Cassy Dias