OGX receives license for the Tubarão Martelo field.
Eike Batista's oil company obtained an installation license from Ibama for the development and transportation of oil production in blocks BM-C-39 and BM-C-40; oil from these fields will be used as collateral for the rights acquired by the company in the last auction of exploration areas.
SAO PAULO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The oil company OGX, part of Eike Batista's group, obtained an installation license for the development and transportation of oil production in blocks BM-C-39 and BM-C-40, which contain the Tubarão Martelo and Rêmora fields in the Campos Basin, the company reported on Monday.
The license was issued by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).
"The Tubarão Martelo Field will be developed by the FPSO OSX-3, which is en route to Brazil and is expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2013, with production estimated to begin by the end of this year," the company said in a statement.
In July, the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) accepted OGX's request for the oil from Tubarão Martelo to be accepted as collateral for the rights acquired by the company in the last auction of exploration areas, held in May.
Tubarão Martelo was one of the areas negotiated by OGX with the Malaysian company Petronas, in an agreement signed in May that involved the sale of 40 percent of two blocks for 850 million dollars.
According to Ibama, the environmental licensing process has three distinct stages: preliminary licensing, installation licensing, and operation licensing.
The installation permit, the second stage of the process, authorizes the start of construction or installation of the project.
(By Gustavo Bonato)