Brazil auctions off several Amazon oil sites despite environmentalists and Indigenous protests

18 Jun 2025 Brazil

BRASILANDIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil has auctioned off several land and offshore potential oil sites near the Amazon River, aiming to expand production in untapped regions despite protests from environmental and Indigenous groups. The protesters outside the venue on Tuesday warned of potential risks that oil drilling poses to sensitive ecosystems and Indigenous communities in the Amazon. A luxury Rio de Janeiro hotel hosted the auction conducted by the National Oil Agency. Most of the 172 oil blocks for sale are in areas with no current production, such as 47 offshore locations close to the mouth of the Amazon River and two sites inland. At least 19 offshore blocks were awarded to Chevron, ExxonMobil, Petrobras and CNPC.

Reporting by Fabiano Maisonnave/ Associated Press

Banner image: Indigenous demonstrators in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, hold a sign that reads in Portuguese “Love, CO2 is in the air” to protest the auction of dozens of oil blocks, including blocks near the mouth of the Amazon River (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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