Brazilian Deepwater Oil

• 2006: Discovery of huge oil deposits far off the Brazilian coast (One of largest oil finds ever)
• Brazil:

  • One of leading emerging economies
  • Badly needs oil and gas
• 2020: Petrobras (state oil company) aims to increase production to 500,000 barrels of oil a day
• Since 2006, the once scenic coast between Rio and Sao Paulo = disfigured by refineries and bases serving oil and gas fields more than 200 km offshore
• Potential for serious pollution of coastal waters and concerns about risky nature of drilling so far offshore
• Rigs = beyond range of most helicopters and access by ship = more hazardous due to prevailing rough seas
• Rigs drill more than 2000 m below sea surface and many more 1000s of meters below the seabed as deposits lie below a thick layer of salt.
• Oil and gas reservoirs = huge amounts of toxic, flammable and explosive gases
• Many observes wonder what will happen in the case of an accident e.g Deepwater Horizon rig in Gulf of Mexico, 2010.