Offered areas
The National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) published in the Official Gazette (DOU) on 08/30/2018 CNPE Resolution No. 10/2018 which established the guidelines for the multi-annual planning of bidding for blocks for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas and authorized the ANP to carry out the 17th Bidding Round in 2020. The resolution was amended by CNPE Resolution No. 07/2020, published in the DOU on 09/09/2020, and the 17th Bidding Round for Blocks for Oil Exploration and Production and Natural Gas, under the concession regime, will be carried out in 2021.
On 11/19/2019, the National Energy Policy Council published CNPE Resolution No. 24/2019 in the DOU, which authorized the ANP to carry out the 17th Bidding Round and approved the offer of one hundred and twenty-eight blocks (128) in the Pará-Maranhão, Potiguar, Campos, Santos and Pelotas Maritime Sedimentary Basins.
In order to comply with the provisions of CNPE Resolution No. 17/2017 the areas offered in the bidding rounds promoted by the ANP were previously analyzed for environmental feasibility by the competent environmental agencies, and their offer supported by the Joint MME / MMA Manifestation.
After this analysis, were selected ninety-six (96) blocks in the Campos sedimentary maritime basins (sectors SC-AP1, SC-AP3 and SC-AUP2), Pelotas (sectors SP-AR1, SP-AP1 and SP- AUP1), Potiguar (sectors SPOT-AP2 and SPOT-AUP2) and Santos (sectors SS-AP4, SS-AUP4 and SS-AUP5), totaling approximately 54 thousand km² of area.
The rules for exploration and production on the Continental Platform beyond 200 nautical miles were evaluated by a Working Group (GT) constituted by Resolution CNPE No. 23, of October 18, 2019, and composed of representatives from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Civil House, Ministry of Economy, National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Final Report of the GT, published on February 28, 2020, concluded that there are no obstacles to the offer of the exploratory blocks related to the offer in the 17th Bidding Round.
After publication of Resolution CNPE nº 07/2020 and beginning of the resumption process of the 17th Bidding Round, ANP identified the need to reconfigure blocks in the SS-AUP5 sector in the Santos basin, given the evolution of geological studies from incorporation of new 3D seismic data recently acquired. Blocks SM-1613 and SM-1615 were unified, with the nomenclature SM-1613 prevailing, and blocks SM-1617, SM-1619, SM-1729 and SM-1731, prevailing the nomenclature of block SM-1617, without extrapolating the external geographical limits already approved by CNPE.
The reconfiguration was the object of deliberation by the CNPE and implied the amendment of CNPE Resolution No. 24/2019. The 17th Bidding Round will, therefore, count with the offer of ninety-two (92) blocks with exploratory risk, located in 11 sectors of 4 Brazilian sedimentary basins: Campos, Pelotas, Potiguar and Santos. The detailed list of blocks offered is found in ANNEX I of the pre-bidding notice.
On 01/09/2021, CNPE published CNPE Resolution No. 11/2021 in the DOU, which amends CNPE Resolution No. 24/2019 and ratifies the offer of 92 blocks.
The three blocks in the SS-AUP5 sector, in the Santos Basin, are cut by the 200 nautical mile limit. These blocks may contain deposits located in excess of 200 nautical miles, in the extension of the Brazilian Continental Platform, which requires the adoption of specific procedures, under the terms of the applicable legislation.
Click on the links below to consult information on the sectors and blocks authorized for the 17th Bidding Round:
General Map of exploratory blocks
Information on confronting states and municipalities
Maps by sedimentary basin and sector
» Campos Basin
» Pelotas Basin
» Potiguar Basin
» Santos Basin
Note: Considering that the Resolutions and any other documents do not have an English version, see the files (in Portuguese) on the corresponding page in Portuguese: Áreas em oferta — Português (Brasil) (www.gov.br).