Brazil's state oil firm has received a licence to conduct exploratory oil drilling in the sea off the Amazon, despite environmental concerns about the project.
The approval will allow Petrobras to drill in a block located in Amapá, 500km (311 miles) from the mouth of the Amazon River on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin.
The company said it had demonstrated to the government that it had robust environmental protection structures in place.
But many conservationists have raised concerns about plans, including fears that any oil spills would be in proximity, via sea currents, to the Amazon, which is home to around 10% of the world's known species.