Petrobras announces oil discovery in the Equatorial Margin

a Petrobras Today, Tuesday (April 9, 2024), it announced the discovery of signs of oil in the Potiguar Basin, the beginning of Brazil's territorial extension on the equatorial margin. Read the complete Statement (PDF – 2 MB).

The discovery was made at the Anhanga exploration well, on block POT-M-762_R15. The well is located near the border between the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, about 190 km from Fortaleza and 250 km from Natal.

According to Petrobras, this is the second discovery of signs of hydrocarbons in the equatorial margin. The first round was also held in the Potiguar Basin, at the Beto Oeste well, located about 24 km from the Anhanga well. The state-owned company reported these discoveries “Still worth extra reviews”.

Petrobras has permission from Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) to carry out exploratory operations in the Potiguar Basin since September 2023.

The Environment Agency has not yet granted the state-owned company permission to explore the Foz do Amazonas Basin, the area closest to Guyana, a country where significant oil reserves have already been found.

Although it is located in the Foz do Amazonas basin, the block targeted by Petrobras is not close to the mouth of the Amazon River. The area where the oil well will be drilled is located 500 kilometers from the site and about 170 kilometers from Oyabuki in Amapa.

The tropical margin includes the entire coastal strip in the north of the country. It got its name because it is close to the equator. It begins in Guyana and extends to Rio Grande do Norte. The Brazilian part is divided into 5 sedimentary basins, containing a total of 42 blocks.

Petrobras intends to invest US$3.1 billion in exploration operations in the tropical margin by 2028. It is expected to drill 16 wells over the next five years.