Petrobras carries out scientific expedition in the Equatorial Margin region, coast of RN

Researchers from Petrobras, the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB) and 10 universities located in the states of the Equatorial Margin geographical region, in addition to two research institutions in the Southeast, embarked on a scientific expedition on March 30 aboard the Hydroceanographic Research Vessel (NPqHo) “Vital de Oliveira”, operated by the Brazilian Navy. For thirty days, scientists from different research areas will focus mainly on studies on the marine geology of the region, which stretches from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá and is considered the most promising new exploratory frontier in deep waters.

“This will be our second expedition in the area. Now, we intend to intensify our studies and update data. In the future, we plan to apply technologies similar to those used in the Santos Basin, such as artificial intelligence, drones and remote sensing, to expand our knowledge about this environment and share these discoveries with academia and other institutions, especially local research groups”, he states. the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates.

Compared to the previous year, the number of scientists involved in this year’s expedition increased from eight to 28, and the number of participating universities increased from two to 12.

“Petrobras constantly seeks to establish partnerships with research institutions to expand our knowledge about the regions where we operate. Much of the knowledge acquired about the marine ecosystems of the Campos and Santos basins was made possible by Petrobras. Now, we seek to do the same on the Equatorial Margin, generating scientific information relevant to our projects and academic research, thus contributing to national science”, explains Carlos Travassos, director of Engineering, Technology and Innovation at Petrobras.

The expedition will provide the scientific community with additional information and will allow the monitoring of relevant environmental components of the Equatorial Margin, such as sensitive habitats and biological groups, a crucial step for future environmental programs aimed at biodiversity in Petrobras’ areas of operation.

The studies will be conducted by collecting material between 130 and 800 meters deep, approximately 150 kilometers from the coast, in the maritime part of Amapá.