Petrobras says drilling off Amapá found hydrocarbons, and Lula is pushing to keep exploring.
Why it matters: The discovery could shape Petrobras’ investment plan and Brazil’s next licensing decisions. It also intensifies a fight over drilling near the Amazon river mouth, where environmental and Indigenous groups are challenging the project.
- Lula backed the project Monday after visiting a Petrobras offshore drilling vessel tied to the find.
- Petrobras said Friday exploratory drilling found hydrocarbons about 180 kilometers off Amapá in Brazil's Equatorial Margin.
- Petrobras said drilling in block FZA-M-059 began after it received an environmental license from Ibama.
- Environmental and Indigenous groups have sued to stop the exploration, and the Federal Public Ministry has asked a court to re-examine the license's climate and sociocultural impacts.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is backing Petrobras' push to keep exploring off Brazil's northern coast after the company said it found hydrocarbons in the Equatorial Margin. During a Monday visit to a Petrobras vessel, Lula called the discovery a "passport to the country's future".
Petrobras said Friday that exploratory drilling in block FZA-M-059 detected hydrocarbons about 180 kilometers off Amapá state. The company said the result is still exploratory and does not mean commercial production has begun. In a filing with the SEC, Petrobras said drilling started in October 2025 after the company received an environmental license from Ibama, and that its 2026-2030 plan includes $2.5 billion for the Equatorial Margin and 15 new wells.
The project is still facing legal resistance. Environmental and Indigenous groups have sued to halt the exploration, arguing the licensing process did not properly consult traditional communities and did not adequately assess spill and climate risks. The Brazilian Federal Public Ministry has also asked a court to review the project's climate and sociocultural impacts and to suspend or annul parts of the license. Petrobras has said it will continue exploring the area.
By the numbers
- 180 kilometers - Petrobras said the hydrocarbons were found off the coast of Amapá.
- $2.5 billion - Petrobras' 2026-2030 plan allocation for the Equatorial Margin.
- 15 new wells - Planned in the same period, according to the SEC filing.
Yes, but: The find is not yet a commercial discovery, and the project still faces court challenges and regulatory scrutiny.
What's next: A court decision on the legal challenges could determine whether Petrobras can keep exploring under the current license.