Petrobras begins emergency drill in Foz do Amazonas basin

Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras began an emergency drill in the Foz do Amazonas region on Sunday, the firm said in a statement on Monday.

The so-called pre-operational assessment is considered by Petrobras to be the final stage of an environmental licensing process to obtain a permit to drill an exploratory oil and gas well in the region.

The drill started on Sunday at 18:10 (21:10 GMT), Petrobras said in the statement. Brazil's environmental agency Ibama did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The exercise is expected to involve more than 400 people, as well as logistical resources such as large vessels, helicopters, and a drilling rig, which will be positioned at the site where the well is to be drilled, in the deep waters of Amapa state.

The oil industry believes there is significant potential for discovering large oil and gas reserves in the Foz do Rio Amazonas region, based on major discoveries in geologically similar regions such as Suriname and Guyana.

However, there is resistance from segments of society and within the government itself, due to claimed socio-environmental risks.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)