ANP prepares 23-block auction

Pre-salt gains momentum as ANP expands offering and prepares new auction with 23 blocks

ANP published on April 6 a new version of the Production Sharing Permanent Offer (OPP) notice, following board approval on March 27 and validation by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME).

The update expands the number of areas available in Brazil’s pre-salt, with 15 new exploratory blocks added to the eight previously offered, bringing the total to 23 blocks available for future OPP cycles.

All areas are located within the pre-salt polygon, with eight blocks in the Campos Basin and 13 in the Santos Basin — both considered strategic regions for national production.

The blocks have received joint environmental feasibility assessments from the MME and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, allowing them to be included in the offering. Despite updates to technical and economic parameters, bidding rules and contract structures remain unchanged, reinforcing regulatory stability.

With the publication, the areas are now open to expressions of interest from companies — a prerequisite for launching the 4th OPP cycle. Under this model, bidding rounds are only triggered once companies formally declare interest in specific blocks.

As one of Brazil’s main licensing mechanisms, the Permanent Offer provides continuous availability of acreage and greater flexibility for companies to assess opportunities. To date, Brazil has held three production-sharing cycles under the OPP framework, consolidating the model as a key tool for attracting investment in the upstream sector.