The natural gas production in Espírito Santo is expected to grow by 5.2% per year until 2028. As a result, the state will increase from the current 4.2 million cubic meters per day to 5.5 million cubic meters/day of the input by 2028. These data are part of the 7th edition of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Yearbook in ES, launched on Monday (04/22) at the Palácio Anchieta in Vitória.

The document, produced by the Industry Observatory of the Federation of Industries of Espírito Santo (Findes), gathers the most important data and analyses of the sector in the state and in Brazil, as well as presenting investment projections and oil and gas production until 2028.

Findes President Cris Samorini points out that the growth of oil and gas production will also follow the development of 12 projects already mapped out in Espírito Santo, involving mainly BW Energy, Petrobras, Prio, and Seacrest Petróleo.

During her speech at the event's opening, the Federation's president reinforced the importance of natural gas for the Capixaba economy and recalled that: “When last year's Yearbook was launched, within a five-year horizon, until 2027, almost R$ 9 billion in investments were foreseen by the sector. This year, until 2028, this amount has increased to almost R$ 37 billion.”

According to the industrialist, this demonstrates how strategic Espírito Santo is for companies in the sector and how much they have been focusing on the state when structuring projects and investments. She cites the results achieved throughout 2023 as an example of the companies' interest.

“The production of onshore natural gas in Espírito Santo has more than doubled. New companies, including small and medium-sized ones, are entering the Capixaba oil and gas market, which strengthens land activity and expands opportunities for suppliers and job and income generation. This development in onshore production is a reflection of the work of the Federation and the Capixaba Oil, Gas, and Energy Forum, with the sector and the government,” she pointed out.

Regulation of the piped gas market in ES

For Findes President Cris Samorini, “natural gas is extremely relevant for Capixaba industries and is undoubtedly an essential input in this moment of neo-industrialization of the country and decarbonization of the economy.”

The industrialist also highlighted, during the opening of the Oil and Gas Industry Yearbook in ES launch, the need for Espírito Santo to once again be a pioneer in the natural gas sector, this time with the regulation of the State Law on the Free Market for Piped Gas, which was approved at the end of 2020. The topic has mobilized the Federation and other actors.

“We work together with the Capixaba Oil, Gas, and Energy Forum to make natural gas more accessible and competitively priced for Capixaba industries. And regulation is essential for this to happen. This way, we will be able to create a better business environment for the entire market and for companies to develop. Natural gas is a fundamental input for the decarbonization process,” emphasized Cris.

In his speech, the state governor, Renato Casagrande, also addressed the topic and reinforced the task that the State Government has of stimulating a good business environment for companies to make investments and generate new businesses, while the state makes investments that fall under the purview of the public sector.

“For example, we have a level of regulation that depends on us. In the gas sector, we have a modern law approved during my previous administration that gave us the opportunity to move forward. We recently announced investment in biomethane. It is our role to make good use of petroleum resources. Our vision is to maximize this wealth to promote energy transition. Examples of this are the petroleum resources we have applied in Reflorestar, the Civil Defense Fund, and the Sovereign Fund,” concluded the governor.