The National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) informed Petrobras, this Wednesday (4/2), that the company will be able to resume drilling an exploratory well in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, on the Equatorial Margin, when it meets new established conditions. 
Work had been haltedon January 6th of this yeardue to a fluid leak.
According to Petrobras, it was a drilling fluid, used to clean and lubricate the drill bit during the drilling of oil and gas wells. This compound helps control well pressure and prevent wall collapse.
Indigenous and environmental organizations expressed concern about the spilland the state-owned company stated that the drilling fluid meets the toxicity limits permitted by law, is biodegradable and does not harm the environment or people.
Requirements
The resumption of activities can only occur after replacing all seals on the gaskets. riser drilling ─ a large diameter pipe that connects the oil well on the seabed to the rig, which is the floating drilling unit on the surface.
THE riser Drilling rig acts as a temporary extension of the well, allowing the bit and drill string to descend to the seabed. It is also this structure that guides the return of drilling mud back to the rig, ensuring safety and control of the well.
In addition to replacing, Petrobras must present evidence of changing the seals within five days after installing the last gasketincluding an analysis of the suitability of the installation.
In the note, the ANP also says that Petrobras will have to review the Preventive Maintenance Plan, with a reduction in the data collection interval from underwater vibration recorders in the first 60 days.
Another requirement is to use the spare drill pipe joints only after sending the respective certificates of conformity, proving that they were inspected and/or repaired in accordance with applicable standards.
The regulatory agency added that it has been auditing the rig’s operational safety management system since last Monday (2).
Petrobras
When reporting the leak at Foz do Amazonas, on January 6 of this year, Petrobras guaranteed that it “adopted all control measures and notified the competent bodies”.
The state-owned company reported that there was a loss of drilling fluid in two auxiliary lines that connect the drilling rig to the Morpho well, in the exploration block (FZA-M-059).
The company also said that “there are no problems with the rig or the well, which remain in a completely safe condition and that the occurrence also does not pose any risk to the safety of the drilling operation”, stated the state-owned company.
Petrobras was approached to comment on the ANP’s decision, but by the time the article was written it had not yet responded.
