The state-owned Petrobras has been given permission by the government to conduct oil exploration close to the Amazon’s mouth. As Brazil hosts a UN climate summit soon, environmentalists have criticized the decision.
The state-owned oil firm Petrobras requested a permission to drill for oil close to the Amazon River’s mouth, and the government of Brazil granted it on Monday.
Ahead of the COP30 UN climate negotiations in Brazil next month, the action has drawn harsh criticism from environmental activists.
Oil and gas are thought to be abundant in the Equatorial Margin deposit off the coast of Brazil.
After a five-year battle, the business was finally given permission to drill in the region. According to IBAMA, the nation’s environmental regulator, the decision followed a “rigorous environmental licensing process.”
A similar Petrobras application had been first denied by IBAMA in May 2023 due to insufficient safeguards to safeguard animals in the event of an oil disaster.
According to Petrobras, the drilling could begin right now and could take up to five months.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-wing president, has supported the plans, claiming that the oil proceeds will go toward financing Brazil’s climate transition. According to Alexandre Silveira, Brazil’s Energy Minister, the ruling will protect “the future of our energy sovereignty.”
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