Despite resistance from the government's environmental sector, Petrobras' president, Jean Paul Prates, stated on Wednesday (11) that the state-owned company expects to receive a license in 2024 to drill an oil well in the Foz do Amazonas basin.
The company has been campaigning for the approval of this activity and organized an event with BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) to discuss the topic, within the context of what the sector now calls a "just energy transition".
During the event, the state-owned company and the bank reinforced the argument that exploration is necessary to renew Brazil's reserves and could contribute to the preservation of the forest by directing resources.
The company had its request to drill in the coast of Amapá, a non-oil producing area considered environmentally sensitive, denied. The company has appealed, but the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) has not yet made a decision. In another licensing request, Ibama authorized the drilling of wells in the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, an area that already has oil production.