The Brazilian national oil company, Petrobras, has announced that after a five-year wait, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) has approved the operational permit for its Morpho exploratory well in the Amazon offshore basin on the continental shelf edge of Brazil. According to the company's statement, a drilling platform is ready, and once the environmental permit is obtained, local oil exploration activities will commence immediately. The São Paulo State Newspaper reported that Ibama will issue the oil exploration operation license to Petrobras on October 20.

In a statement, Petrobras stated, "Through this exploration study, the company aims to gather more local geological information and assess the economic potential of oil and gas resources in the area, with the exploration phase not involving oil extraction and production." Magda Chambriard, the company's president, highlighted that the approval of the environmental permit for oil exploration in the mouth of the Amazon River is the result of collaborative efforts and demonstrates the commitment of national institutions to promoting projects that could foster national development. During the nearly five-year wait for environmental permit approval, Petrobras maintained communication and cooperation with various levels of government and environmental agencies.

Magda further emphasized, "Throughout this process, we have verified the completeness of the environmental measures available for deepwater drilling phases. We will conduct exploration in the marine continental shelf near the equator in Brazil in a safe, responsible manner, ensuring quality with professional expertise. We look forward to achieving excellent results from this exploration, demonstrating the presence of oil and gas resources in the region."

The equatorial marine continental shelf extending from the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá along the coast has been a contentious area between Brazilian environmental organizations and the oil and gas industry. Despite controversies, President Lula has explicitly expressed support for the exploration of local oil and gas resources. Lula has criticized Ibama for delaying the approval of environmental permits, calling their actions "dragging their feet." Last year, Ibama technical experts recommended rejecting Petrobras' exploration project in the region.