Petrobras implements contingency plan due to historic drought in the North Region

Petrobras initiated a contingency plan on Thursday (12) to guarantee the transportation of oil, natural gas and LPG in the North Region, in response to one of the worst droughts recorded in history. So far, supply to customers remains unchanged.

The measures are part of Operation Codajás, which the company carries out every year with its subsidiary Transpetro during low river levels. The LPG produced in Urucu (AM) is being transported by barges to face critical stretches of the Solimões River, before being transferred to larger vessels.

The company also reported that it has two gas tankers anchored in Coari (AM) that can be used to store LPG, with capacity to meet demand for up to 30 days. Petrobras emphasized that this action aims to mitigate risks in LPG production, linked to oil and natural gas extraction, while the flow of oil from Urucu continues normally.

Contingency Plan – Operation Codajás

Petrobras announced this Thursday (12) the implementation of a contingency plan to ensure the flow of oil, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the North Region, in the face of one of the most severe droughts in history.

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_{Petrobras headquarters building in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Photo: reproduction/Fabio Teixeira/Anadolu/Getty Images Embed)}

The actions are part of Operation Codajás, which Petrobras carries out annually, together with its transportation and logistics subsidiary, Transpetro, during the low-water period. Based on the lessons learned in 2023, several meetings were held in partnership with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, involving government agencies, producers, operators and distributors. The objective was to implement preventive measures and find solutions for the dry season in the region.

This year, despite the situation having worsened, the company guaranteed that, to date, there has been no impact on the supply of LPG to customers (distributors and the Manaus Refinery), as well as on oil production and the supply of derivatives in the area.

Logistics operations

_{Petrobras base in the Urucu Oil Province, in Coari (AM). (Photo: reproduction/Petrobras Agency)}

The LPG produced in the Urucu area (AM) is being transported through the most critical stretches of the Solimões River using barges, which, as they are smaller, are capable of navigating at points of reduced depth, before being transferred to larger vessels with a capacity of 3,500 tons.

In addition, the company highlighted that two gas tankers currently anchored in Coari (AM) can be used, if necessary, for the storage of LPG. These vessels have a total capacity of approximately 14 thousand tons, which is enough to meet demand for a period of 30 days.

According to the company, “the measure aims to reduce the risk of a decrease in LPG production in Urucu, which is linked to oil and natural gas production.”

As for the flow of oil from the Urucu region, this continues to occur without difficulties, being transferred to ships in Manaus or Itacoatiara to continue coastal navigation.

Crisis Group

According to Petrobras, all actions taken have been communicated at meetings of the Crisis Group created by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which is coordinating government institutions and civil society to mitigate the impacts of the intense drought in the North region.

Petrobras, together with Transpetro, say they will continue to monitor the hydrological conditions in the area, in addition to being attentive to essential logistics operations to ensure navigation and delivery of LPG in the region. In this way, the companies help the local population to face this difficult period.

Featured Photo: Petrobras' Encontro das Águas Port (PEA) in Manaus (AM). (Reproduction/Petrobras Agency)