Revitalization of a mature oil field and construction of a gas-fired thermoelectric plant are the result of new investments in the sector promoted under the scope of Promar and the New Gas Law

The Minister of Mines and Energy Bento Albuquerque visited, this Saturday (8/28), the Pampo oil exploration platform and the Marlim Azul Thermoelectric plant in the cities of Campos dos Goytacazes and Macaé, in Rio de Janeiro. The projects in the oil and natural gas sector fall within the scope of the Campos Maduros Production Revitalization and Incentive Program (Promar) and the New Gas Law, promoted by the federal government in partnership with states, municipalities and the National Congress.

In Campos, the minister met with Mayor Wladimir Garotinho, who highlighted the importance of mature fields for the Campos Basin. “Promar is a breath of hope for the entire region, with the resumption of investments and job creation. This survival of fields and platforms will generate wealth for our municipalities”, said the mayor.

The Campos Basin, with an area of about 100,000 km2, between Vitória (ES) and Arraial do Cabo (RJ), was once the main producer of oil and natural gas in Brazil, accounting for 65% of all oil already produced in the country. Today, most of its fields are considered mature. “The Campos Basin has a very important symbolism for Brazil. Oil and natural gas are the country's wealth. Promar is a revitalization program that will directly serve this region, generating more jobs and more income,” said minister Bento Albuquerque.

The minister visited the Pampo platform, operated by the British company Trident Energy. The asset was acquired from Petrobras in 2020, together with nine other adjacent fields (Pampo and Enchova poles), which should receive investments for revitalization of at least US$ 1 billion, increasing field reserves by 203 million barrels of oil.

"With exploration started in the 1970s by Petrobras, the revitalization of assets such as those belonging to the Pampo and Enchova poles serve as a model for dozens of other mature fields located offshore in Brazil", explained the secretary of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels at MME, José Mauro.

In Macaé, the minister visited the construction of the Marlim Azul Thermoelectric Power Plant, which will use natural gas extracted from the pre-salt. Through private investments (Pátria Investimentos, Shell Group and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems), the thermoelectric plant will complement energy generation in the country from 2023 onwards. traditional ones.

“The presence of the Minister in Macaé reinforces our city's strategic position for the energy market in Brazil. The forecasts for investments from the revitalization of mature fields are positive, especially in the generation of business and jobs”, highlights Mayor Welberth Rezende.

"The region has gone through a very big depression process and Promar is an encouragement, because it will make us rescue the basin as a whole. We are already reaping the results. Now with more resources coming in, this process will be accelerated, occupying the space that Petrobras is no longer able to operate," stated federal deputy Christino Áureo.

The secretary of economic development, energy and institutional relations of Rio de Janeiro, Vinicius Farah, also participated in the visits.