Federal Prosecutors Urge Suspension of Seismic Licensing at Amazon River Mouth and Demand Cumulative Review of Petrobras Wells

Overview

• The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Pará issued recommendations to Ibama and Petrobras to immediately halt licensing for seismic surveys in the Foz do Amazonas.
• Prosecutors asked regulators to condition any progress in block FZA-M-59 on a single, cumulative analysis of four planned wells—Morpho, Marolo, Manga and Maracujá—rather than evaluating each in isolation.
• The MPF also requested that Ibama pause public comment periods and technical information meetings until the necessary studies for seismic research are properly completed.
• Petrobras was told to update its public communications within 30 days to clearly state the plan for four wells in FZA-M-59, correcting materials that present only the Morpho well; g1 reported it is awaiting responses from Ibama and Petrobras.
• Context for the push includes a January incident in which about 18,000 liters of drilling fluid leaked at FZA-M-59: an Ibama report found the fluid toxic to marine life, the ANP fined Petrobras R$2.5 million and ordered a stoppage with equipment changes and added training, while the company says the fluid is biodegradable.