Drilling rig chartered by Petrobras arrives in Amapá

The NS-42 drilling rig, chartered by Petrobras, arrived at the location, in block FZA-M-59, in the deep waters of Amapá, on the evening of Monday, August 18th. The vessel will be used during the Pre-Operational Assessment (APO) , which is scheduled to begin on August 24th.

The APO is the final stage of the environmental licensing process for drilling a well in offshore block FZA-M-59, located 175 kilometres off the coast of Amapá and more than 500 kilometres from the mouth of the Amazon River. During the exercise, Ibama will evaluate Petrobras' compliance with the actions outlined in the Wildlife Protection and Response Plans and the Emergency Plan. Through a simulated accident response, the agency will evaluate aspects such as equipment efficiency, agility, compliance with scheduled wildlife response times, and communication with authorities and stakeholders.

The exercise will involve more than 400 people and will rely on logistical resources such as large vessels, helicopters, and the NS-42 drilling rig itself, which will be positioned at the well site. Through the APO, Petrobras will be able to demonstrate its ability to act promptly and will be eligible to receive a drilling license for the well. This procedure is similar to the one carried out in 2023 in the offshore Rio Grande do Norte region, prior to the granting of drilling licenses for the Pitu Oeste and Anhangá wells.

"We will conduct this simulation with the rigorous safety and preparedness protocols we practice in all Petrobras activities. We are bringing to Amapá the largest incident response structure the company has ever mobilized. Confirmation of the existence of oil in the Equatorial Margin could open an important energy frontier for the country, which will develop in an integrated manner with other energy sources and will contribute to the fair, safe, and sustainable energy transition process," says Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard.

Petrobras' operations in the Equatorial Margin, a region that encompasses the coastal strip between Amapá and Rio Grande do Norte, are guided by respect for life, people, and the environment. Petrobras' activities are conducted under strict social and environmental responsibility protocols, and the company has extensive technical expertise gained over decades of operations in the Brazilian offshore sector, earning global recognition in deepwater exploration and production.