By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s oil and gas regulator, Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP), announced on Wednesday (Oct. 29) the availability of eight exploration blocks in its Permanent Production Sharing Offer (OPP). The new phase allows the 15 registered companies to declare interest in one or more blocks and submit bid guarantees to trigger a new licensing round.
According to the official ANP statement, the currently listed areas include Jade, Ágata, Amazonita, Safira Leste, and Safira Oeste in the Santos Basin, and Larimar, Turmalina, and Ônix in the Campos Basin. Two additional areas — Cruzeiro do Sul and Mogno, also in the Santos Basin — have been approved by the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) and may soon be added to the offer, pending joint authorization from the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA).
Expansion Planned for 2026
The ANP said it has already begun the inclusion process for the new blocks and plans to republish the OPP notice in 2026. Another 16 areas in the Santos Basin, such as Rubi, Granada, and Malaquita, have CNPE approval and await ministerial clearance to join the offer. If all authorizations are granted, the total number of available blocks could increase from eight to 26, expanding opportunities for offshore exploration in Brazil’s pre-salt region.
Next Cycle Depends on Market Demand
The launch of the fourth OPP cycle will depend on the level of interest among the participating companies. The agency said there is no fixed timeline yet for the next bidding phase or confirmation of which blocks will be offered.
Results From the 3rd OPP Cycle
In the third cycle, held on Oct. 22, five of seven blocks were sold: Esmeralda and Ametista in the Santos Basin, and Citrino, Itaimbezinho, and Jaspe in the Campos Basin. The signing bonuses reached R$103.7 million, with expected investments of R$451.5 million during the exploration phase alone.
Leave a Reply