Brasília, June 17, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) will issue a new public notice, tomorrow, inviting bids on areas for the prospecting, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas.

The "Guidelines for the Environmental Licensing of Drilling and Marine Sounding Activities for the Fifth Round of Bidding" will make approximately 192.1 square kilometers available for these activities. The areas are distributed among nine Brazilian sedimentary basins, in 11 states.

With the announcement of the guidelines - based on the document "Evaluation and Priority Activities for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Coastal and Marine Zones" - Ibama and the ANP offer companies interested in prospecting petroleum and natural gas information about the environmental vulnerability of coastal and marine zones to drilling and sounding activities.

The companies authorized to proceed will still need to submit their prospecting project to Ibama in order to obtain the environmental license necessary to commence activities. (DAS)