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Transpetro to import steel from China | |
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China wins tender offered by Transpetro to supply steel for the construction of vessels in Brazil. Transpetro will import 18.3 thousand tons of steel for the construction of 49 Promef vessels by 2014. A total of 15 steel companies from eight different countries participated in Transpetro’s tender, but the price put forward by China’s steelmaker was the most competitive one, said Sergio Machado, Transpetro CEO.
A total of 680,000 tons of steel will be required for the construction of Promef vessels. A third of the 150,000 tons of steel already acquired by Transpetro was supplied by Brazilian steelmakers, and the remaining amount came from China, Ukraine and South Korea. Transpetro’s steel demand for the next few years soared by 30,000 tons, reaching 710,000 tons, Machado said. |
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Translation based on an article published in Estadão (07/22/10) |
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BlackRock sells Petrobras shares | |
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Petrobras’ largest private investor BlackRock Inc, the world’s biggest asset manager, sold its shares in Petrobras due to uncertainty surrounding Petrobras’ capitalization plan. BlackRock’s Latin America portfolio manager, William Landers, said the company’s investment in Petrobras was slightly reduced in the second quarter, however Landers did not reveal the exact amount of disinvestment.
The investment was reallocated towards companies linked to the domestic market. BlackRock held 6.16% of Petrobras’ preferential shares up to the end of 2009. BlackRock is the only publicly known private investor that holds more than 5% of Petrobras’ preferential shares. |
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Translation based on an article published in Folha de São Paulo (07/22/10) |
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Oil production in shallow-waters offers greater risk | |
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Oil production in shallow-waters offers greater risk of an oil spill, as opposed to oil production in deep waters or in the pre-salt layer, where most of Brazil’s oil is concentrated. An oil spill in shallow-waters could have a direct impact in the tourism and fishing industries.
“We have been assessing these areas with caution for some time and we have denied ANP licenses to offer tender for new blocks in shallow-waters“, said Edmilson Maturana a director at IBAMA – the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. According to Edmilson Maturana, deep-waters and shallow-waters wells have the same pressure. An oil spill in shallow-waters could spread across the region and quickly reach the shore. Whereas if an oil spill in deep-waters meets up with the current, it may be pushed away from the coast. |
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Translation based on an article published in J. Commercio (07/26/10) |
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Petrobras eyes pre-salt oil fields in Angola | |
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Petrobras eyes pre-salt oil fields in Angola. According to sources, Petrobras is planning to participate in a tender for pre-salt areas offered by the Government of Angola. Tender proposals must be submitted by 31 July. Petrobras is still interested in discovering pre-salt oil in Angola, despite cutting investments in the international market, according to sources.
Petrobras is planning to form partnerships to participate in the tender. Petrobras will be the operator with a 20% stake in the project, and the other companies will hold the remaining 80%. Petrobras’ main competitors in Angola’s pre-salt tender are India and China. Angola has established a strong relationship with China and India in the last few years. Angola has even received funds from China Eximbank. However, Angola has shown interest in diversifying investors. |
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Translation based on an article published in O Globo (07/20/10) |
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New safety plan to prevent oil spill | |
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Significant changes will be made in the global oil industry safety plans after the Gulf oil spill, which took BP three months to partially plug the well. Brazil has started reviewing safety plans. The Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP), Ibama (The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and the Marine are jointly working on the first national safety plan to prevent oil spill in deep-waters and pre-salt areas.
Petrobras used to prepare a safety plan for each platform, but from now on this will be done in a national level, said ANP CEO Harold Lima. Even though Brazil has adopted one of the world’s best safety plans and inspection procedure, Lima believes that they will need to be upgraded after the Gulf oil spill. Lima also said pre-salt and post-salt production in Brazil should be accelerated because the oil value might drop in the near future because of an increase in alternative energy use after the Gulf oil spill. |
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Translation based on an article published in O Globo (07/26/10) |
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Brazil falls in the global GDP forecast | |
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Brazil’s stake in the global GDP (gross domestic product) falls, despite having the highest economic growth in the last few years. In 2002, Brazil’s GDP was equivalent to 2.92% of the global GDP. Brazil’s GDP will drop to 2.90% of the global GDP by the end of 2010, according to IMF’s forecast. It is a significant difference but need to be taken into consideration as Brazil is an emergent economy, say experts.
In 2000, China held 7% of the global GDP, followed by India with 4% and Brazil with 2.95%. China might have 13% of the global GDP by the end of the year and India 5%, as per IMF. “Brazil is not a poor country, but a country full of poor people”, said the economist Simão Davi Silber, a professor at Sao Paulo Federal University (USP). One quarter of the Brazilian population earn less than the minimum salary set out by the Government. |
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Translation based on an article published in Estadão (07/26/10) |
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Port of Rio de Janeiro to launch new shipping area | |
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Port of Rio de Janeiro will launch a new shipping area for Santos Basin pre-salt equipment and goods. Companhia Docas do Rio will offer a tender an area equivalent to 2/3 the port’s public terminal for offshore activities, Companhia Docas do Rio CEO Jorge Luiz de Mello said. Petrobras is already undertaking test operations at the Port of Rio de Janeiro.
Petrobras and Companhia Docas do Rio legal departments are assessing the results and are likely to offer a tender in the next few months. Petrobras handled approximately 5,000 tons of cargos during the two months test to meet demand of 12 oil platforms in the Santos Basin pre-salt layer. Petrobras is likely to use other terminals to meets pre-salt demands. There is also a shipping area at the Port of Angra dos Reis for Santos Basin pre-salt equipment and goods. The new shipping are will aim to meet demand of 28 oil platforms in the Santos Basin pre-salt layer by 2012. |
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Translation based on an article published in O Globo (07/20/10) |
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Shipbuilding industry invests in Brazil’s Northeast region | |
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The Brazilian Union of Shipbuilding, Ship repair and Offshore Industries – Sinaval says 80% of investments forecasted by 2013 will be invested in Brazil’s Northeast region, totalling R$ 6.1 billion out of R$ 7.6 billion. Investments will go to 17 new shipyards, 9 of them are located in Brazil’s Northeast region.
“This is a huge progress in the Northeast region. There were no major investments in the oil and shipbuilding industries in that region until last year when Atlantico Sul shipyard was launched”, said the president of Sinaval union Ariovaldo Rocha. |
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Translation based on an article published in DCI (07/22/10) |
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