Brazil's Petrobras suspends drilling in environmentally sensitive area after fluid leak

A synthetic fluid leak of about 15 cubic meters (15,000 liters) has halted Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras' drilling of a well in the environmentally sensitive Foz do Amazonas Basin, the company said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Petrobras said it had identified a leak on Sunday in two auxiliary lines connecting its drilling rig to a planned well located off the coast of Brazil's Amazonian state of Amapa, in the northern part of the country.

"The loss of drilling fluid was immediately contained and isolated. The lines will be brought to the surface for evaluation and repair," the company said, without providing details on when drilling would resume.

Petrobrasspent years trying to obtain a license to drill in the region, which is considered to be its most promising oil frontier, as it shares geology with nearby Guyana, where ExxonMobil is developing huge fields.

Brazil's environmental agency Ibama only granted the license after intense pressure from local politicians and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Ibama said in a statement on Tuesday it was notified of Sunday's incident by Petrobras.

Activists and non-profit groups have railed against drilling in the region, arguing it could impact the lives of Amapa's Indigenous peoples