Petrobras plans to have the Equatorial Margin ready by March, say sources

Two sources said on Monday that Brazilian oil company Petrobras plans to have a veterinary clinic in the Amazon ready to treat animals in case of an oil spill.

Petrobras has not yet met the Ibama environmental agency's main demand, which is the animal care center for the state of Amapa in northern Brazil. This could be a condition to get approval from Petrobras to drill near the Amazon River.

Ibama had blocked Petrobras' drilling in an environmentally sensitive area in 2023. However, the company has filed a second request which is being assessed by the agency. There is no deadline for a final decision.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, has defended Petrobras in its bid to explore this region. He said that last week, "Ibama appears to be a government agency working against the government."

Sources said that the construction of the veterinary centre is in its final stages. However, they added that the delays were due to rains in the area. Petrobras had originally hoped to complete the center by February, according to their initial statement.

The "Equatorial Margin" is Brazil's most lucrative oil frontier. It shares geology with the nearby Guyana where Exxon Mobil has developed huge fields. Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Writing by Andre Romani, Editing by Kylie Madry

(source: Reuters)