Brazil Starts Military
Drill Around Pre-Salt
Layer Oil Fields
RIO DE JANEIRO -
Brazil Friday started
the Operation Atlantic,
a military exercise off
the coasts of the states
of Sao Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro and Espirito
Santo, where the
country's pre-salt layer
oil fields are located.
The exercise, which will
last until Sept. 26, is
a way to arouse people's
awareness on necessary
means to protect the
so-called "Blue Amazon,"
a
4.5-million-square-kilometer
coast area.
A total of 17 ships, 40
aircraft, 300 vehicles
and over 10,000 troops
from the Brazilian army,
air force and navy will
participate in the
simulated warfare.
In the exercise, the
fictitious "Green
Country," formed by
troops from the states
of Rio de Janeiro, Sao
Paulo, Goias and Minas
Gerais, will fight the
"Yellow Country" of the
states of Espirito Santo
and Bahia.
They are supposed to
fight over the control
of the oil platforms and
fields in the area.
"The Blue Amazon is as
important to this
country as our Green
Amazon, the Amazon
Rainforest," said
commander of the
maneuver Admiral
Edlander Santos.
The pre-salt layer
fields have the
potential to double
Brazil's total oil
reserves, which
currently reach 14
billion barrels of oil
equivalent.
According to Admiral
Santos, the maneuver
will boost response of
the Brazilian armed
forces in case of major
conflicts over the oil
fields.
"Do we have enough ships
and means to protect
those 4.5 million square
kilometers of sea areas?
That is what we will
find out," he said.
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