"Brazil needs a reconstruction shock," says Professor Jorge Figueiredo.

247 - The interview with Professor Jorge Figueiredo, a specialist in oil exploration and environmental issues, was shown on the program. good night 247He addressed the impacts of oil activity in Brazil, highlighting the importance of strategic planning and the adoption of advanced technologies to reduce risks. With a technical and balanced approach, his statements brought fundamental reflections on a topic that has been the subject of intense debate.

When discussing the challenges of oil exploration in Brazil, the professor highlighted that "we haven't had any significant accidents" in the Campos and Santos basins, which have accounted for a large part of national production since the 1980s and 2000s, respectively. He emphasized that these operations "have not caused any problems for the coastal environment of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina." This finding, according to him, demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile economic development and environmental preservation, provided there is technical rigor and continuous monitoring.

Figueiredo also explained that the concern about distances from the coast in offshore exploration is often misunderstood. "What is mandatory is not the distance from the coast, but rather the water depth," he stated. He detailed that the continental shelf, a shallow region with greater biodiversity, varies according to geographic location. In the Amazon River Mouth Basin, for example, it can reach 150 kilometers in width, while off the coast of Rio de Janeiro it is limited to about 70 kilometers. Furthermore, he recalled that 18 years ago, during the peak of the last glacial period, sea levels were much lower, meaning that "there was no continental shelf" during that period.

Another important point addressed by the professor was the issue of ocean currents and their potential impacts in case of spills. He acknowledged that there is a risk associated with the North Brazilian Current, which flows from east to west and could rapidly transport pollutants to the coast. However, he stressed that companies like Petrobras already carry out sophisticated mathematical modeling to predict these scenarios. "When we were at Petrobras, we were already doing this. There are software programs that simulate the behavior of currents at different times of the year," he explained. For him, it is fundamental that any exploration project be preceded by rigorous studies, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA), which includes these analyses.

The professor also drew attention to the relevance of exploration in the Amazon River Mouth Basin, where the proposed wells are located in deep waters, at the foot of the slope, at a depth of approximately 1.800 meters. "It is far from the environmentally sensitive region," he said, although he admitted that the risks need to be carefully assessed.

Finally, Jorge Figueiredo reinforced the need for Brazil to adopt a strategic stance regarding its natural resources. "Brazil needs a reconstruction shock," he declared, referring to the urgency of investing in infrastructure, technology, and public policies that promote sustainable development. According to him, the country has the potential to become a global leader in responsible oil exploration, but this requires a commitment to science and the environment. Watch: