Brazil informed on September 27, that an oil spill has contaminated beaches and coastline across eight Brazilian states. However, Brazilian authorities are not about where the oil originated from, with Brazil’s oil agency ANP believing that it may have been spilled by a tanker.
As Reuters report, environmental agency Ibama noted that beaches along a 3,000-kilometer coastline of Brazil’s Northeast region, are affected by the oil spill. In addition, some birds and sea turtles covered with oil have also been washed up, and are now being treated.
Currently, there is extensive oil exploration activity offshore Brazil, but authorities said that this is not the source of the spill.
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In fact, the head of Brazil’s oil agency ANP Decio Oddone, highlighted that the agency believes the oil could have originated from a tanker transporting the crude far from the Brazilian coast. However, this possibility has not been confirmed yet.
What is more, ANP added that there were no reports of spills by any operator of oil drilling rigs in Brazil.
For its side, oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA performed laboratory analysis of the oil, concluding that, by observing its molecules, ‘the organic compounds of the material found are not compatible with that of the oils produced and marketed by the company.’
Moreover, the next nearby oil exploration areas are located in Venezuela and the Gulf of Mexico, but there has been no reported issues there.
Petrobras is now helping with the clean-up efforts, offering about 100 employees to assist in cleaning the beaches.
