The ANP Board approved on March 7th the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) on the hydrocarbon levels in natural gas established by ANP Resolution No. 16/2008. The next step will be the revision of this resolution by the Agency, which will include, among other things, the stages of public consultation followed by a public hearing to receive contributions from society.

The revision of the regulation was the option indicated, among others evaluated in the RIA, and meets government policies aimed at increasing domestic natural gas production, currently based mainly on pre-salt reserves. The objective is to attract investments and new economic agents, suppliers, and demanders, and to provide the natural gas market with greater competitiveness.

The pre-salt associated gas, increasingly predominant in national production, has intrinsic characteristics that differ from the traditionally explored and consumed post-salt gas internally, providing the country with a new gas source.

These characteristics remove it from the quality specifications regulated by ANP through Resolution No. 16, 2008. To address the resulting regulatory issue, the Agency developed the RIA, which included the participation of external consulting from the National School of Public Administration (ENAP) in its initial phase, as well as extensive and relevant social participation.

During the RIA, the many and distinct interfering variables in the scenario were examined. The Multi-Criteria Analysis methodology used elected the following option as the most suitable for solving the problem: "Maintain the current specification of natural gas prescribed in ANP Resolution No. 16, 2008, regarding the limits of hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, butane, and heavier) and provide for a provision allowing authorizations or alterations of the hydrocarbon limits for specific cases."

The chosen option represents a middle ground between the others analyzed. This is because it maintains the current specification and allows ANP to authorize, after relevant analyses and conditions, the commercialization of natural gas with parameters different from those established in the standard, removing obstacles to increasing domestic gas production.

These authorizations must necessarily be based on arguments pointing out, among other things, factual difficulties of a technical-economic nature in meeting the limits prescribed for hydrocarbons, identifying any affected consumers with the requested authorization, and, if applicable, corresponding mitigating measures. Additionally, they will be subject to monitoring through specific indicators and will be time-limited.