Brazil Resumes Amazon Oil Production

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced the resumption of oil production in the Amazon basin after a pause of nearly a decade, according to NTV, despite continuing to advocate internationally for a gradual phaseout of fossil fuels.

Together with state-controlled energy company Petrobras, Lula unveiled a €424m investment in 22 new wells in the Amazonas oil field.

Lula defended the move as necessary for economic growth, arguing that oil revenues would help finance Brazil’s energy transition. Brazil remains one of the world’s largest oil producers, and the country’s northern regions are heavily dependent on extraction activities in the Amazon.

Around 8% of Brazil’s natural gas production is expected to come from the region in 2025.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, which warn it could accelerate destruction of the Amazon rainforest and undermine Brazil’s climate credibility.

At the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Lula urged the international community to develop a plan for phasing out fossil fuels. Brazil itself, however, has yet to present its own roadmap despite earlier promises to do so.

The issue is also politically sensitive. Lula, now 80, is preparing for another presidential election campaign while simultaneously backing additional offshore oil projects near the Amazon coast, where most of Brazil’s oil production is concentrated.

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