The Board of Directors of the ANP decided yesterday (12/1) to create a working group to monitor the situation at the Polo Bahia Terra and articulate the necessary actions for the gradual and complete resumption of its production. The board also analyzed and decided not to comply with the request made by Petrobras, to reconsider the Agency's decision to interdict, for security reasons, the facilities that make up the Polo. The ANP understands that it cannot shirk its duty to put an end to serious and imminent risk situations, but at the same time it will spare no efforts to ensure that production resumes as quickly as possible.

In the face-to-face inspection carried out by Agency technicians between 12/5 and 9/12/2022, a lack of fire and gas sensors was found; the unavailability of fixed fire fighting systems; the undersizing of emergency vents; and the non-forecast of interlocking actions in case of confirmed gas. It was also verified the company's failure to assess and, consequently, not manage, the specific risks of the facilities and their operations in the Pole, as there are no studies of the consequences of possible fires and explosions, which is mandatory by the safety philosophy itself. from the operator.

On 12/15, the ANP authorized the extension, requested by Petrobras, of the deadline for the completion of the stoppage of the wells and production facilities in the interdicted fields, based on the Safe Stoppage Plan presented by the company, aiming to enable the resumption of production after the situation of serious and imminent risk to human life and the environment that led to the interdiction ceased. Thus, the deadline for the gradual suspension of activities, which was initially 72 hours (until the end of 12/15), was extended until 01/12/2023.

Work group

Due to the impacts caused to the population, municipalities and economic agents in the region, by the suspension of production at the Hub, the Agency decided to create a working group that should work with the company to define the strategy for the return of production at the Bahia Terra Hub , with the correction of critical deviations that cause serious and imminent risks in the shortest possible time, as well as the return to operation schedule, with prioritized actions, based on production capacity, guarantee of supply, in the shortest time for sanitation of conditions established in the interdiction and other applicable criteria.