ANP includes Ceará farm oil discovery in exploratory block

The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) has officially designated the area where a farmer discovered crude oil as part of an exploratory block. The discovery occurred in November 2024 at the Santo Estevão farm, owned by Sidrônio Moreira, located in Tabuleiro do Norte, Ceará.

Following the approval of 24 new onshore blocks in the Potiguar Basin, the site is now eligible to be included in the Permanent Concession Offer (OPC), a continuous auction model for oil and gas exploration. While the ANP confirmed the substance found is crude oil, further studies are required to determine the economic viability of commercial extraction.

Immediate extraction is not expected, as the process requires environmental risk assessments, new geological studies, and various ministerial authorizations. Under the Brazilian Constitution, subsoil resources belong to the Union, though the landowner may be entitled to a percentage of profits if exploitation proceeds.