MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay approves offshore 3D seismic survey for oil exploration, sets marine safeguards

The clearance comes amid criticism from environmental and coastal groups that have pursued legal challenges and street protests against seismic surveying

Uruguay’s Environment Ministry on Friday granted operational authorization for a 3D seismic survey in its jurisdictional waters, in an offshore block operated by Chevron, with a specialized vessel already in position and work planned through the end of April.

The permit includes an Environmental Management Plan that makes the campaign conditional on mitigation and monitoring measures, focusing on marine mammals and on managing potential disruption to commercial fishing. Requirements include continuous acoustic monitoring to verify underwater noise levels and mandatory on-board observers specialized in marine fauna, alongside direct oversight by the Environment Ministry.

According to guidelines published by the executive branch, the framework establishes buffer distances and requires operations to be halted when whales, dolphins or other sensitive species are detected, alongside expanded safeguards for sea lions and marine turtles, among others. “We are committed to protecting marine biodiversity,” Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño said when outlining the standards applied to such campaigns.

On fisheries, the authorization provides for financial compensation if a direct decline in catches is demonstrated during the operational window, and requires monitoring of the sound waves’ effects on the temporary displacement of commercially relevant fish and on eggs and larvae.

The administrative decision also ties the project’s continuation to periodic performance reports and gives the environmental authority powers to demand technical adjustments, impose sanctions or revoke the permit if the approved parameters are breached, according to details reported by the local press.

The clearance comes amid criticism from environmental and coastal groups that have pursued legal challenges and street protests against seismic surveying. On the institutional front, Uruguay’s National Human Rights Institution (INDDHH) sought judicial relief to halt the activity, but the court rejected the filing and the agency appealed, weekly Búsqueda reported.

Uruguay has pursued offshore exploration for more than a decade, but the government argues the current difference is the strictness of the safeguards. “Seismic surveying is not new. What is new is the level of environmental requirements and guarantees,” Ortuño said.