On Monday (Aug 16), Petrobras President Jean Paul Prates welcomed the OPEC Secretary General, His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, marking the start of his one-week mission in Brazil. The joint agenda included visits to the Leopoldo Américo Miguez Research, Development, and Innovation Center (CENPES) and the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE/UFRJ). The visits were also attended by directors Sergio Caetano (Financial and Investor Relations), Carlos Travassos (Engineering, Technology, and Innovation), and Maurício Tolmasquim (Energy Transition and Sustainability).

HE Haitham Al Ghais’ visit to Brazil follows an invitation extended by Jean Paul Prates after the 8th OPEC International Seminar, held in Vienna in July. The schedule demonstrates Petrobras’ significance in the Brazilian leadership regarding the global energy transition. This is the first time Brazil has been visited by a Secretary General of the institution.

Jean Paul Prates emphasized the symbolism of the occasion. “The acceptance of the OPEC Secretary General to our invitation, as we celebrate Petrobras’ 70th anniversary, demonstrates the company’s global importance. This further encourages us to strive to be a paradigm, an example, and a partner to other countries in the energy transition”, he celebrated.

The OPEC Secretary General’s visit to CENPES on Monday included a lunch with Petrobras and Research Center executives and a tour of the rock laboratory and the refining pilot plant. HE Haitham Al Ghais was welcomed by the research center’s manager, Maiza Pimenta Goulart. 

“We need to be agile, flexible, and innovative, and that is what I see in Petrobras. The technical and market research you conduct is what matters the most. The Brazilian people are very innovative, so I am not surprised by the creativity I have seen here. The world will need energy – all forms of energy. We have to transition carefully, without sacrificing energy security and global economic growth. The transition must be fair, leaving no one behind. As I advocate, we need to transition with realism”, said the OPEC Secretary General.

A leader in the sector, CENPES is responsible for developing research that turns into business strategy and creates value for Petrobras, society, and the global energy segment. 

After CENPES, HE Haitham Al Ghais visited COPPE/UFRJ, a partner of Petrobras in technology development. The delegation was received by the director-general, Susana Kahn, who organized a meeting with researchers from the energy sector and a discussion. In the final part of the visit, Jean Paul Prates and HE Haitham Al Ghais also visited the Ocean Tank, designed to conduct tests on models of structures and equipment used in offshore oil and gas exploration and production activities.

Schedule

Throughout the week, the OPEC Secretary General will also participate in a meeting with the entire Petrobras Board of Directors. The joint agenda further includes his participation in events honoring Petrobras’ 70th anniversary in Brasília, as well as a visit to the P-71 platform in the Santos Basin cluster. 

The schedule also encompasses participation in a luncheon hosted by the Brazilian Petroleum Institute (IBP), with some of the key leaders in the Brazilian petroleum sector, including Petrobras President Jean Paul Prates. During his stay in Brasília, HE Haitham Al Ghais will have meetings with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Ministers Alexandre Silveira (Mines and Energy) and Mauro Vieira (Foreign Affairs), as well as Rodrigo Pacheco, President of the Federal Senate, and other government authorities.