Senator Laércio Oliveira (PP-SE) highlighted, in a speech on Tuesday (07), a proposal he presented that creates the program to encourage the flow and sale of natural gas (Pró-Escoar). According to the parliamentarian, PL 956/2023 will allow for an increase in natural gas production in the country and will make the internal market more competitive.

“Today we are in a position to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of natural gas in Brazil. Just think, for example, of the increase in natural gas production that will come associated with oil exploration in the pre-salt region,” he said.

The senator pointed out that the program will create conditions for, in the near future, Brazil to change from an importer to an exporter of natural gas to the whole world. He also observed that natural gas is a basic input for the industry and its exploitation will contribute to the country's economic growth. “At the same time, it is a central fuel in the energy transition process, given its capacity to replace more polluting energy sources and accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions”, he highlighted.

Laércio also noted that Sergipe is experiencing a moment of expectation in relation to the future, since from 2026 “it will have an enormous production of natural gas with the arrival of 20 million cubic meters per day of gas channeled into the sea, in a gas pipeline with about 100 kilometers in water and another 25 kilometers on land, prospecting at a depth of almost 2,000 meters”. He explained that, with this, the state will be responsible for 20% of national gas production, attracting new industries and generating jobs and income for the population.

“We all converged on the belief that the use of natural gas produced in Brazil should be a priority for Brazil. In this sense, I want to remind you that the state of Sergipe and the state of Rio de Janeiro have a lot to contribute to the production and flow of natural gas, with investments in this sector made possible by the new Gas Law [Law 14,134, of 2021] , which I reported to the Chamber of Deputies,” he concluded.