Lula Affirms Brazil Will Continue Oil Exploration in Equatorial Margin Despite Environmental Commitments

President Lula declared during his opening speech at the 81st UN General Assembly that Brazil will persist in researching new petroleum reserves, specifically citing the Equatorial Margin, while maintaining environmental commitments. The statement represents a notable contradiction within a broader climate-focused address where Lula criticized global climate denialism and called for renewed international action against the climate crisis. The president asserted Brazil has achieved petroleum self-sufficiency and will not renounce its environmental agenda while pursuing these new reserves.

The Equatorial Margin encompasses the Foz do Amazonas basin off the coast of Amapá state, an ecologically sensitive area that has undergone contentious environmental licensing processes. Researchers and environmental advocates have expressed concerns about potential oil spills affecting northern coastal ecosystems. The exploration activities face legal challenges, with the Federal Public Ministry requesting immediate suspension of drilling licenses granted to Petrobras in the Foz do Amazonas. Prosecutor Felipe de Moura Palha e Silva argues the civil lawsuit should remain under Federal Court jurisdiction in Pará rather than Amapá.

Amapá Secretary of Economic Development Vandenberg Pitaluga announced plans for a port-island facility to serve as a petroleum hub for the Guianas region during the ROG.e 2026 event. Pitaluga confirmed meetings with Suriname’s Minister of Oil, Gas and Environment aimed at positioning Amapá to capture regional petroleum industry benefits. The state government is developing local content policies through dialogue with Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana and neighboring Brazilian states.

The proposed sovereign wealth fund for Amapá would dedicate specific allocations for indigenous and quilombola communities affected by petroleum development. State authorities are negotiating modifications to Brazil’s royalty distribution law to address northern region realities.

Lula’s UN declaration emphasized Brazil’s authority to reject protectionist measures disguised as environmental concerns, referencing recent US tariff impositions that cited deforestation as justification. The president defended Brazil’s ownership of critical minerals and rare earth elements necessary for global energy transition, stating access to these resources will require mandatory technology transfer, value generation within Brazilian territory, and supply commitments to strategic national sectors.

Environmental analysts noted the inherent contradiction between advocating for fossil fuel phase-out while simultaneously promoting new petroleum exploration. The promised roadmap for fossil fuel dependency elimination, originally announced following COP30 in Belém, remains unpublished despite presidential directives issued in December.