A veterinary facility established by Brazil's state-run oil company, Petrobras, in the Amazon is expected to be ready for inspection by the environmental agency Ibama in April, according to documents reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The center, located in Oiapoque, Amapá state, is a key condition set by Ibama for Petrobras to secure potential approval for offshore drilling in the environmentally sensitive Foz do Amazonas region.

Construction on the facility is slated for completion by the end of March, with Ibama tentatively scheduling an inspection starting April 7, as stated in a document dated March 14. While Petrobras executives have claimed that the center is the final outstanding requirement from Ibama, sources indicate that technical staff at the agency urged Ibama chief Rodrigo Agostinho last month to reject the drilling request altogether.

Agostinho is under mounting political pressure from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who last month criticized Ibama for its reluctance to approve the project, stating that the agency "seems to be against the government." Petrobras was previously barred from drilling in the area in 2023 but has since submitted a fresh request, which Ibama is currently reviewing with no set deadline for a decision.

The Foz do Amazonas basin, part of Brazil’s Equatorial Margin, is regarded as the country’s most promising new oil frontier, sharing geological similarities with neighboring Guyana, where ExxonMobil is developing massive oil reserves. However, Petrobras' plans have encountered fierce opposition from local Indigenous communities in Oiapoque and federal prosecutors, adding further challenges to its bid to drill in the region.