Following a drilling fluid leak at the Morpho well in the Foz do Amazonas basin on 4 January, Petrobras is required to submit a formal incident report to the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) within 90 days of the event. The company has been providing daily updates to the regulator.

Incident Details and Response

The leak occurred in two auxiliary lines connecting the drilling rig to the well, located approximately 175 kilometers off the coast of Amapa state and about 500 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon River. Petrobras identified a failure in the riser connection. In response, the company isolated the affected lines, stopped all discharge, and is collecting the riser to correct the fault. The well itself is lined and isolated from the formation, and operations were interrupted.

Regulatory Oversight and Environmental Assessment

Multiple agencies, including ANP, the Brazilian Navy, and the environmental regulator Ibama, are monitoring the incident. Petrobras has committed to providing any information requested by Ibama. The company asserts that the incident did not cause environmental damage or pose operational safety risks, noting that the lost fluid is biodegradable, was immediately contained, and meets all environmental regulations. There were no reported problems with the rig or the well.

Ongoing Actions

Petrobras has begun work to bring the auxiliary lines to the surface for repairs. The Morpho well drilling project had only recently received its operating licence in October, following years of Petrobras seeking approval to drill in the environmentally sensitive basin.