The board of Brazil's state-run oil company, Petrobras, approved the exploration of new oil and gas fields in February, Planning Minister Miriam Belchior said on Friday, countering criticism by some board members that they were not previously informed of a 15 billion reais ($6.8 billion) oil-rights deal. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, on Tuesday was awarded the rights to explore four fields off Brazil's southeast coast believed to contain an estimated 5 billion to 9 billion barrels of oil. In return, it will pay the government 15 billion reais through 2018, with 2 billion reais going to the Treasury's coffers this year. The cash will help the government with its fiscal goals amid a weakening economy.