Mouth of Amazonas, Region Disputed by Petrobras, Already Had 95 Oil Wells
Target of an impasse between the government's environmental and energy areas, the basin at the mouth of the Amazon River is considered by the oil sector to be part of the solution to renew Brazilian reserves with the beginning of the pre-salt production decline in the next decade. The new frontier sought by the oil industry, however, raises concern in the Ministry of the Environment, which advocates for a more complete assessment of the impacts of this activity in a biodiverse and vulnerable location. The region has already had 95 oil wells previously drilled, with only one commercial discovery of natural gas and a high rate of abandonment due to operational difficulties, which the sector says is a reflection of outdated technology when the region had its exploration peak, in the 1970s.