ExxonMobil has relinquished four exploration blocks in Brazil's pre-salt province, shifting its focus to newly acquired acreage in the northern equatorial margin.

Relinquished Blocks and Exploration History

The company has quit blocks S-M-536 and S-M-647 in the Santos basin, Block C-M-753 in the Campos basin, and the Tita production sharing contract. The Tita prospect was drilled in 2021 but was deemed non-commercial. No wells were drilled in the other three blocks, despite ExxonMobil having identified several prospects there, including Pandora, Atlas, Espinela, Andes, and Himalaia.

Broader Exploration Campaign in Brazil

ExxonMobil's efforts in Brazil have yet to yield a commercial discovery, contrasting sharply with its major success in neighboring Guyana. An earlier campaign from 2008 to 2010 in the Santos basin pre-salt play resulted in three non-commercial wells. Since returning to Brazil in 2013, the company has drilled three additional prospects—Cutthroat-1, Opal-1, and Tita—none of which have led to a commercial find.

Strategic Shift and Current Production

The company's strategic pivot is towards 10 blocks it secured, in partnership with Petrobras, in the environmentally sensitive Foz do Amazonas basin during a June bid round, where it operates half the permits. ExxonMobil's current Brazilian production comes from a 40% working interest in the Equinor-operated Bacalhau pre-salt field, which started in October 2025 and is ramping up to produce about 5,000 barrels of oil per day.