Petrobras Makes Second Oil Discovery in Amapá Ultra-Deepwater Well
Brazilian state-controlled oil giant Petrobras has identified a new oil-bearing interval at the Morpho exploration well offshore Amapá, strengthening indications of hydrocarbon potential along the country’s Equatorial Margin.
The discovery was made in the FZA-M-59 block at the Morpho well, formally designated 1-BRSA-1405-APS, in ultra-deepwater at a depth of about 2,886 meters.
Petrobras continued drilling the well after announcing an initial hydrocarbon discovery at Morpho in August 2026. The deeper drilling campaign was designed to test additional exploration targets below the first find and has now encountered another interval containing oil.
The company said the latest discovery was identified through a combination of electrical well logs, indications in rock samples and fluid samples collected during drilling.
The new find provides Petrobras with additional geological data to assess the petroleum systems and potential resources of the Foz do Amazonas Basin, one of the key frontier exploration areas within Brazil’s Equatorial Margin.
Petrobras said laboratory analysis of the latest samples is still underway and will be combined with the broader dataset collected during drilling. Testing of samples from the August discovery has already confirmed that the oil found in the earlier interval is of good quality, according to the company.
The operator plans to complete drilling at Morpho and continue evaluating the formations encountered before determining the commercial significance of the discoveries.
The result adds to Petrobras’ exploration campaign in Brazil’s offshore frontier basins as the company seeks to replenish oil and gas reserves over the longer term. Reserve replacement has become an increasingly important strategic priority as Petrobras looks beyond its prolific pre-salt portfolio for future production opportunities.
The Foz do Amazonas Basin forms part of Brazil’s Equatorial Margin, a vast offshore region stretching along the country’s northern and northeastern coastline. Petrobras has identified exploration of new frontier areas as an important component of its strategy for maintaining future domestic oil and gas supply.
The latest Morpho discovery does not yet represent a declaration of commercial reserves, and further appraisal and analysis will be required to establish the size, quality and potential recoverability of the resource.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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