Rio de Janeiro —
Brazil's National Petroleum Agency expects the number of exploration wells drilled off the country's coast to nearly quadruple in 2021 to 19 wells as oil companies ramp up activity and the coronavirus pandemic wanes, the regulator's superintendent for exploration said during a webinar April 28.
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The expected upswing in exploration activity came after the industry implemented measures to guard against offshore outbreaks that can disrupt operations. In addition, coronavirus vaccine rollouts, while slow, are accelerating and should reach critical mass through the remainder of 2021, executives said.
"What we're seeing is that companies are cautious, but optimistic," the ANP's Marina Abelha, said. The agency's quick actions helped maintain oil industry investments targeted for Brazil although the work was likely pushed slightly into the future by the pandemic, she said.