Petrobras finds hydrocarbons at first Equatorial Margin well off Amapá
Petrobras identified the presence of hydrocarbons at the Morpho exploratory well (1-BRSA-1405-APS) in Block FZA-M-59, located in the Foz do Amazonas Basin off the coast of Amapá state on Brazil’s Equatorial Margin, the company said on 14 August 2026. The well sits approximately 175 km off the Amapá coast in a water depth of 2,886 m. Petrobras confirmed the hydrocarbon-bearing interval through wireline logs and rock indications.
Drilling of the Morpho well is being carried out by the Foresea-owned ODN II drillship, and operations remain ongoing as Petrobras continues its exploratory evaluation of the block. Petrobras operates Block FZA-M-59 and holds a 100% participating interest in the area, which the company acquired under the concession regime in ANP’s 11th Licensing Round in 2013.
Morpho marks the first exploration well drilled in the Equatorial Margin since 2015 and follows Petrobras’ receipt of an environmental license from Ibama in October 2025 to drill in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, 500 km from the mouth of the Amazon River. Petrobras holds operating stakes in 16 blocks across the Barreirinhas, Ceará, Foz do Amazonas, Pará-Maranhão and Potiguar basins.
