The Equatorial Margin offshore Brazil, which includes Foz do Amazonas, Pará-Maranhão, and Barreirinhas basins, is estimated to hold large oil and gas reserves and is believed to share geology similar to that of Guyana’s offshore, where Exxon is finding billions of barrels of oil and has developed and is developing half a dozen projects. Petrobras is appealing Ibama’s decision to not grant drilling rights. However, this decision may spook potential candidates for the blocks, according to a local analyst.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, and other agencies of government to clear all court cases around the $1.3bn deepwater OPL 245 oil block located in southern Niger Delta.