At a plenary session, Andy Brown, Shell’s Global Vice-President of Exploration and Production, drew attention to the competition for investments in the world, highlighting the billion-dollar decrease in investments this year and the importance of stability and regulatory environments in such a competitive world. To illustrate opportunities in Brazil, he mentioned the work in partnership with Petrobras and the constructive dialogue with the government and regulating bodies.

The importance of Brazil’s global competitiveness was also highlighted by the president of Statoil in Brazil, Päl Eitrheim. The executive emphasized the size of the Brazilian market and the strength of its institutions.

Petrobras’ director of Exploration and Production, Solange Guedes, said the stage that the industry is going through requires cost optimization and she also reported that Petrobras was able to reduce by 28% its extraction costs in the pre-salt in the last two years. "The repetition of the learning cycle leaves a legacy, which is the base of a solid and robust knowledge that allows us to deliver an even more competitive industry to Brazil."

Refining

Petrobras’ director of Refining and Gas, Jorge Celestino, estimated supply prospects in the country, according to economic and regulatory aspects. According to Celestino, in recent years there has been a strong growth in fuel demand in Brazil, followed by the increase of import of derivatives. "Brazil has a vocation to export and can count on a privileged geographical position with access to the pre-salt layer, but it faces an external crisis and also the global competition, which renders unfeasible the construction of refineries for exporting”, he said.

Celestino pointed out that, right now, "the encouragement to the operation of other companies in the downstream branch and the partnership with third parties to expand its refining capacity are the milestones of Petrobras’ new approach."

Gas

Experts also concluded that Petrobras’ sale of assets paved the way for the development of the Brazilian gas market, which, in order to advance, will need to have its rules changed, in addition to a greater integration between the links of the chain.

Roberto Schloesser, coordinator of the Study Group on Natural Gas at IBP, said the new scenario requires regulation changes and the creation of a central agency to regulate the industry and to develop the foundations of a "true natural gas market in the country "- which should provide for access rules and have liquidity and stability.

Danny Hard, General Manager of Anadarko for Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico, mentioned the project that integrated the fields of the Independent Hub, which brings together 12 offshore areas in the US Gulf of Mexico. "We managed to develop these reserves and start production in an integrated manner, in just 4 years and a half."