Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro has announced that it started drilling of the Pitu Oeste well, which marks the resumption of the company’s efforts to explore oil and gas on the so-called “Equatorial Margin.”

The Equatorial Margin region extends along the Brazilian coast from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to Amapa, according to Petrobras, as the company is known.
The drilling of the well, located 53 kilometers (33 miles) off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, will take three to five months.

Through the Pitu Oeste well, Petrobras hopes to obtain more geological information about the area, which will allow the company to confirm the extension of the oil discovery made in 2014.

In October this year, Petrobras received an operating license from IBAMA to drill two oil and gas exploration wells in deep waters in the Potiguar Basin, on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin. Under the same environmental license, the company intends to drill the Anhangá well, in the POT-M-762 concession, located 79 km off the coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, next to the Pitu Oeste well.

“Petrobras intends to contribute to the socio-economic development of the region, without forgetting the importance of being part of the efforts to promote national energy security. The Equatorial Margin will be an important asset even for global sustainability,” said Jean Paul Prates, president of Petrobras.

Under Petrobras’ 2024-2028 strategic plan, the company foresees an investment of $ 3.1 billion for oil and gas research in the Equatorial Margin, where the company hopes to drill 16 wells during this period.