British NGO attacks national sovereignty and campaigns against the exploitation of the Equatorial Margin.
An NGO bought advertising space in newspapers to pressure President Lula before COP30; oil from the region is being explored in Guyana by international oil companies.
247 - The British NGO Eko is leading an attack on national sovereignty on the eve of COP30. The British Non-Governmental Organization bought a page in Folha de S. Paulo and commissioned a Datafolha poll to try to pressure the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva not to grant a license for oil exploration in the Equatorial Margin, resources that are already being exploited by international oil companies in Guyana and Suriname, without any opposition from international NGOs. According to industry analysts, the Equatorial Margin is considered one of the last exploratory frontiers on the planet, with the potential to place Brazil on a new level in the geopolitics of oil.
Billions in royalties and investments
Oil from the Equatorial Margin is essential for the future of Petrobras, which has already invested nearly R$ 1 billion in equipment and testing, and studies indicate that the region may hold significant reserves of oil and natural gas, capable of generating billions in investments and royalties, as well as boosting the creation of direct and indirect jobs.
Despite environmental and social pressure, Petrobras and other oil companies remain interested in the region. In June, companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, and the Chinese CNPC, along with the Brazilian state-owned company, acquired 19 of the 47 exploration blocks offered by the federal government, demonstrating the area's potential.
New pre-salt
The Equatorial Margin is seen by the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) as Brazil's "new pre-salt" and, according to the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, the opening of new exploratory frontiers is strategic to guarantee resources that finance the energy transition and sustain the country's economic growth. President Lula has also stated that the process should occur responsibly and with respect for the environment, highlighting that Petrobras has consolidated experience in deep-water operations without a record of incidents.
Research commissioned by a British NGO, and reported by Reuters, suggests that Brazilians are against the exploitation of national natural resources—a view that seems unlikely.
