The first Brazil-United States Energy Forum (USBEF) was held yesterday (02/02) in Rio de Janeiro, the event marked the beginning of a bilateral cooperation agenda to overcome challenges for energy trade and investments. Minister Bento Albuquerque coordinated the event for the Brazilian side together with Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, who represented the United States.

"I believe that Brazil and the United States have an important role to play in the world, and we, in the energy sector, have initiated this collaboration and will make our contribution to the future of humanity," said the Minister.

At the meeting, the Action Plan of the two countries for 2020 in the areas of oil and gas, nuclear energy and energy efficiency was also disclosed. For the oil and gas area, there are seven points:

Discuss best environmental practices for offshore oil and gas.

Promote / attract US investments for oil and gas resources under the Open Acreage program.

Helping Petrobras to disseminate divestment opportunities to potential US investors.

Promote cooperation in cybersecurity in the oil and gas sectors.

Accelerate the growth and development of the natural gas market in Brazil, together with the corresponding regulatory reform.

Promote the regulatory framework for offshore oil and gas decommissioning in Brazil.

Technical and regulatory support for the development of unconventional hydrocarbons in Brazil.

Brazil-United States Energy Forum (USBEF) and the oil and gas sector 

The Forum announcement came in March last year by Presidents Bolsonaro and Trump. Since then, government teams from Brazil and the United States have met regularly to develop a joint cooperation agenda. Supported by agency coordination, the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) met with the private sector for the first time in October to formalize the USBEF and discuss the main topics.

Within the oil and gas theme, the attraction of investments, such as the Permanent Offer Program, which last year was widely publicized by the US Department of Commerce, stands out.

A new theme inserted in the USBEF action plan at the end of 2019 seeks technical and regulatory support to develop the so-called shale gas, also known as unconventional gas, found in sedimentary rocks. The goal is to exchange experiences with American peers to demystify fracking - a technique used to refer to the extraction of liquid and gaseous fuels from the subsoil - and to enhance onshore fields, as recommended by the REATE 2020 Program.

Another topic discussed at this morning's interministerial meeting was the creation of means to promote accelerated growth and develop the natural gas market in Brazil. In 2019, government entities, autarchy and the private sector held meetings and seminars to promote dialogue on natural gas mobility, among other issues.

This year, an extensive exchange of experiences on regulation is planned through face-to-face meetings, webinars and technical visits with a focus on boosting new investments in energy in Brazil, as well as cooperation between the two countries.