The Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) has granted Petrobras conditional authorisation to resume drilling the Morpho exploration well in the Foz do Amazonas basin. This follows an incident where approximately 18,440 litres of synthetic fluid leaked into the ocean from auxiliary lines connected to the drillship.

Conditions for Resuming Operations

Drilling can only proceed after Petrobras meets and proves compliance with several specific conditions within set deadlines. These mandated actions include:

• Replacing all riser joint seals.
• Providing evidence of employee training on revised blowout preventer procedures.
• Conducting a review of the preventive maintenance plan.
• Using spare riser joints only after submitting their conformity certificates.

Ongoing Regulatory Audits

Alongside these conditions, the ANP is conducting audits of Petrobras's systems. An audit of the operational safety management system on the drillship began on 2 February. Furthermore, a remote audit is scheduled for 13 February to assess the adherence of the well integrity management system for this specific block to national technical regulations. The ANP described the conditions as a reactive response to the incident, while the audits serve a preventive purpose by evaluating the robustness of the operator's management systems.

Strategic Importance of the Project

The drilling of the Morpho well and subsequent activity in the northern equatorial margin is considered crucial for potentially opening a new exploration frontier in Brazil. This effort is particularly significant as Petrobras works to replenish its oil reserves.