At a meeting held on the afternoon of Thursday (03) at the Anchieta Palace, Petrobras made the signing of the contract for the sale of all of its participation in 27 onshore exploration and production concessions for the Pole Cricaré, in the north of Espírito Santo, for the company Karavan Oil & Gas. The sale was made for $ 155 million. Findes' president, Cris Samorini (photo), participated in the ceremony and highlighted the importance of the measure for the state economy.

Governor Renato Casagrande celebrated the opportunities that should be created from the agreement, which had the articulation of the State Government aiming at maintaining jobs and stimulating regional development.

“This is a signature that interests all of us for the divestment that Petrobras is making and for the investment that Karavan will make. An opportunity for capixabas, for companies that have this extraction profile and for the state, which will be even more competitive ”, he said.

“The initiative boosts the economy of Espírito Santo, enables new businesses in the oil and gas chain and generates new jobs. Findes' Capixaba Oil and Gas Forum estimates that oil production onshore can increase 4 or 5 times, ”said Cris Samorini.

According to the Forum, the fields acquired by Karavan registered average production, from January to June this year, of about 1,700 barrels per day of oil and 14,000 cubic meters of gas. The production of these fields can now reach 8 thousand barrels per day.

Governor Casagrande also reaffirmed his commitment to institutions to constantly improve the business environment in Espírito Santo: “We have a responsible and excellent tax management since 2012, when I had the opportunity to govern the state for the first time. Since then we have been a Note Every year, which gives us an investment condition in times of crisis like the one we are experiencing. Creating the Infrastructure Fund, which received R $ 1.5 billion from an agreement with Petrobras, was essential for the execution of the works that we are carrying out ”.

As of the sale, Karavan O&G Participações will hold 51% of the Special Purpose Entity (SPE), while Seacrest Capital Group Limited will hold the remaining 49%.

According to the president of Karavan Oil & Gas, Fabiano Ramos, one of the reasons for the company's attraction to Polo Cricaré was the business environment of Espírito Santo.

“During this time in which the company has been active, we have been selective in the opportunities we seek and what weighed in our decision regarding the 27 oil fields was the pro-business and ethical environment present in the State of Espírito Santo,” he said.

“We hope to operate in Espírito Santo with governance and social and environmental responsibility. Finally, we are optimistic about the onshore fields, we are sure that it will generate an increase in tax revenues and will bring benefits to the municipalities in the region. We will be a hub that generates jobs and local income ”, said Fabiano Ramos.

“We are here today to reaffirm our commitment to the State of Espírito Santo and to maintain Petrobras' activities. We wish Karavan a lot of success in this new venture at Polo Cricaré. Petrobras developed this Polo for many years and it has already reached the maturity stage that justifies the transfer to another company profile ”, declared the executive director of Governance and Compliance at Petrobras, Marcelo Zenkner.

In his speech, the Secretary of State for Development, Marcos Kneip, thanked the company for the decision and highlighted the business environment of Espírito Santo. “We are very pleased to receive this news. We are very happy with Karavan's coming to the state and being able to see the state's business environment is arousing the interest of investors from all sectors. Sedes is at the company's disposal for new contacts and for the development of Espírito Santo. We are always willing to assist those who wish to invest in Espírito Santo ”, he emphasized.

The undersecretary of State for Competitiveness and Structural Projects of Sedes, Rachel Freixo; Sedes Under Secretary of State for Integration and Regional Development, Paulo Menegueli; the financial director of Karavan Oil & Gas, Giovanna Siracusa; the company's Operations Director, Guilherme Santana; the director and director of Seacrest Petróleo, Michael Stewart; and Petrobras Executive Director of Institutional Relations, Roberto Ardenghy.

About Cricaré Cluster 

The Cricaré Cluster comprises 27 onshore concessions located in the State of Espírito Santo in the municipalities of São Mateus, Jaguaré, Linhares and Conceição da Barra. The onshore fields are: Biguá, Cacimbas, Campo Grande, Córrego Cedro Norte, Córrego Cedro Norte Sul, Córrego Dourado, Córrego das Pedras, Fazenda Cedro, Fazenda Cedro Norte, Fazenda Queimadas, Fazenda São Jorge, Guriri, Inhambu, Jacutinga, Lagoa Bonita , Lagoa Suruaca, Mariricu, Mariricu Norte, Rio Itaúnas, Rio Preto, Rio Preto Oeste, Rio Preto Sul, Rio São Mateus, São Mateus, São Mateus Leste, Seriema and Tabuiaiá.