The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced the opening of its new regional office in Rio de Janeiro. The API office in Brazil will provide the rapidly growing South American oil and natural gas industry with greater access to best practices and programs designed to facilitate safe and efficient energy development across a globally competitive market. John Modine, API’s Director of Global Industry Services, said the new office is a testament to API’s international reputation as the gold standard for energy industry training, standards, and certification programs.

“API’s new office will further strengthen our partnerships across South America and provide industry professionals direct access to world-class programs and services,” said Modine. “Brazil holds an increasingly important place in the global energy market, and API will be on the ground to share information on our high-quality standards, first-class certifications, and cutting-edge training. We look forward to building on our long-term collaboration with Brazil’s technical experts and working with market participants to promote safe and responsible energy development in South America.”

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Brazilian oil production will triple to 6 million barrels per day by 2035, making it the world's sixth-largest oil producer. As a result, IEA predicts that Brazil will play “a central role in meeting the world's oil needs through to 2035, accounting for one-third of the net growth in global supply." IEA also notes that such growth is dependent on “highly complex and capital-intensive” development.

In Brazil, 36 companies have the API seal and 88 certifications have been issued. The country is in 17th position in the global ranking of nations with the number of certified companies. Led by China with 1,650 companies and 3,391 certifications, the ranking has countries like USA, India, South Korea, Canada, Italy, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Indonesia and Singapore.

The API believes that with the opening of an office in Rio, the number of certified Brazilian companies will grow, giving parents more competitiveness in the global market.

According to Modine, API certification can help attract investment and open doors for companies seeking to demonstrate their competitive and technological expertise in a global market. API’s certification and standards programs cover industry inspectors, lubricants, management systems and equipment, as well as services used every day while exploring, drilling, producing, and refining oil and natural gas. API first began publishing standards in 1925 and currently has over 650 active standards and technical publications. Over 100 of them have been incorporated into U.S. regulations, and they are the most widely cited standards by international regulators.