Former Senator Jean Paul Prates (PT) redid part of Petrobras’ plans for the Northeast of the country in less than two months after assuming the presidency of the state-owned company. On visits to states in the region, Prates has already announced the suspension of the oil company’s plans to leave Bahia and Rio Grande do Norte – the latter, his electoral stronghold. In addition, he warned that he wants a new and strategic board of Petrobras to be headquartered in Potiguar soil.
Prates was at Petrobras headquarters in Natal in early February, about ten days after taking office at the state-owned company. There, he met with the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra (PT), who communicated the company’s plans for the state.
According to Bezerra, Prates will create a directorate for renewable energies at Petrobras – a topic that will still be analyzed by the oil company’s board. This board would even stay in Rio Grande do Norte precisely because of the state’s experience in the sector.
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Rio Grande do Norte is the Brazilian state that generates the most wind energy –that is, by wind– in Brazil. At the beginning of the month, already under the management of Prates, Petrobras announced an agreement with Equinor, from Norway, to evaluate wind energy projects offshore –that is, generated in the middle of the ocean– including in Rio Grande do Norte.
“Rio Grande do Norte has already made the energy transition. It was the largest producer of oil on land, and today it is the largest producer of wind energy, self-sufficient in renewable energy. It is up to Petrobras to make a fair energy transition that leaves no one behind. Petrobras has already defined that it will operate in wind power offshorehydrogen, which are new frontiers,” said Prates, days after the meeting with Bezerra, at a ceremony at the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Norte (Fiern).
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At this event, Prates also stated that Petrobras will focus its efforts on oil exploration on the so-called Equatorial Margin. The new frontier is located on the coast between the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Amapá. The forecast is to drill 16 wells and invest R$ 10 billion in the area over the next five years.
“We are going to drill Poço de Pitu, on the Equatorial Margin, on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte”, said Jean Paul Prates, to businessmen from Rio Grande do Norte.
During the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), Petrobras disposed of most of its oil wells in Rio Grande do Norte. Because of this policy, there were fears that the state-owned company would leave the state, which is now out of the question.
Read more: Under Bolsonaro, state companies abandon social function and profit high from the economic crisis
No RN, to Petrobras FICA!
We were now at the Petrobras headquarters in Natal, where we met with the new president of the state-owned company, @jeanpaulprates . And with joy, we received firsthand the news that Petrobras remains in RN!
— Fatima Bezerra (@fatimabezerra) February 3, 2023
Plans for Bahia
The Bolsonarist management of Petrobras also sold the Landulpho Alves Refinery (Rlam) and the Madre de Deus Terminal (Temadre), in Bahia. Also in the state, Petrobras intended to sell biofuel production units, onshore oil wells and had even closed its local headquarters, in the so-called Torre Pituba.
On Monday (13th), Prates was in Salvador and announced the reopening of the Pituba Tower, in addition to investments for exploring onshore wells at the Bahia Terra Pole.
The pole had its operation paralyzed at the request of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) at the end of last year. Since then, Petrobras has followed the schedule proposed to the regulatory body to resume production and respond to requests as quickly as possible.
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The Bahia Terra Hub was under negotiation with Petrorecôncavo and Eneva. At the beginning of the month, the federal government asked Petrobras to suspend for 90 days all ongoing privatization processes at Petrobras. The company said it would evaluate the request. So far, no comment has been made on whether this affects the pole’s negotiation.
The general coordinator of the Single Federation of Petroleum Workers, Deyvid Bacelar, met with Prates in Bahia. After the meeting, he informed that the idea of the new president of Petrobras is to stop the sale of the wells.
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“The oil workers heard from Prates that it should be easier to halt the privatization of Bahia Terra, as in this case there was no definitive contract signed,” said Bacelar.
“Prates stressed that the new administration will also remodel Petrobras in the state of Bahia, with performance characteristics for renewable energies”, added the oilman, who considered the commitments assumed by the new president to be “good”.
🟠 This Monday (13), President Jean Paul Prates visited the Torre Pituba building, located in the city of Salvador, which was once the headquarters of Petrobras in Bahia, but has now been abandoned for four years.
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🟧🟧 * Learn more * ↪️ https://t.co/oHuQyrsE39 pic.twitter.com/sL6mH98V0Y— David Bacelar (@deyvidbacelar) March 13, 2023
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
