Petrobras makes new oil discovery in the Morpho well, on the Equatorial Margin

Petrobras made another oil discovery in the Morpho well, which is located on the so-called Equatorial Margin, 175 kilometers (km) off the coast of Amapá. The announcement was made by the state-owned company this Friday morning (2). The previous discovery was in mid-August.

The well identified as 1-BRSA-1405-APS is located in ultra-deep waters, at a water depth (sea depth at the location of the operation) of 2,886 meters, in the Foz do Amazonas basin.

The Equatorial Margin is considered the new oil exploration frontier, and is even called the “new pre-salt”, because of the expected potential. Significant recent discoveries in Guyana and Suriname have contributed to this promising outlook.

Oil quality

Petrobras reported that after the August discovery, the continuation of the drilling operation aimed to “evaluate deeper exploratory intervals”.

The second discovery was identified through electrical profiles, rock evidence and fluid samples obtained during operations.

“The discovery expands knowledge about the exploratory potential of the area and will provide additional information for the assessment of petroleum systems and the resource potential of the Foz do Amazonas Sedimentary Basin,” said the company in a statement.

Petrobras has already confirmed that the oil found in August is of “good quality”. The material from the second discovery will undergo laboratory analysis. Drilling at Morpho continues to evaluate the identified formations.

Recomposition

The company highlights that oil exploration in the Foz da Amazônia block (FZA-M-59) is aligned with the long-term strategy of restoring oil and gas reserves in new frontiers, “contributing to meeting the country's energy demand”.

In relation to the pre-salt, on the coast of the Southeast region, it is known that if there are no more discoveries, reserves are expected to decline in the next decade.

The search for an exploration license began in 2013, when the British multinational oil company BP won the bid for the area. Due to a strategic decision, the company transferred the concession to Petrobras in 2021.

Ibama

Petrobras obtained authorization to drill in the Equatorial Margin in October 2025. The license was granted by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), linked to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

The decision placed oil companies and government sectors on one side and environmentalists on the other, the latter concerned about the impact of exploration.

Petrobras has defended that drilling is done in a “safe and respectful way for the environment and people”.

The company's president, Magda Chambriard, notes that despite the name Foz do Amazonas, the place is 540 kilometers from the mouth of the river itself.

Potential

A study by the Energy Research Company (EPE), linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, estimates that the total potential recoverable volume of the Foz do Amazonas Basin could reach 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent (a measure that adds oil and natural gas).

For comparison purposes, data from the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), the sector's regulatory body, show that Brazil ended 2025 with around 70 billion barrels of proven, probable and possible oil reserves alone.