Petrobras to begin drilling new wells in Foz do Amazonas in 2027

Petrobras plans to begin drilling three new wells in the Foz do Amazonas Basin starting in January 2027. The drilling program, authorized by IBAMA, will target the Manga, Crotalus, and Morpho Extension wells within Block 59.

As part of this operation, Petrobras will replace the Foresea drillship NS-42 (ODN-II) with Constellation’s NS-43 (Amaralina Star). The transition has been approved by IBAMA, and because the two units are similar, minimal operational disruption is expected. The NS-42 will undergo maintenance in Guanabara Bay before potentially moving to the Potiguar Basin.

The move follows positive initial results from the pioneer Morpho well, which Petrobras executives described as a “grata resposta” (grateful response) after more than a decade of waiting for environmental licensing. Despite the progress, company leadership noted that the licensing process remains difficult and time-consuming.