A public hearing was held today (9/22) by videoconference on the draft resolution aimed at regulating the nomination of areas by economic agents, who may suggest areas of exploration and production of oil and gas of interest, for study by the ANP, in order to offer them in the future in a bidding round or in the Permanent Offer.

At the opening, director Cesário Cecchi (photo) spoke about the importance of the new resolution, which aims to encourage the nomination of areas by industry agents, since this possibility was already available. The new ANP proposal regulates, updates, simplifies and gives greater visibility and institutionalization to the process, to attract the participation of a greater number of agents.

“The nomination of areas has the potential to direct the studies of the ANP allowing, in future auctions, E&P areas to be offered with greater attractiveness. We believe that the greater participation of agents in this process will contribute to increase the quantity and quality of data used by the ANP, with a significant improvement in studies to assess the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins. We will have a process that will benefit the State, companies and civil society. The nomination, which is made confidentially by the companies and used only for internal studies, is a powerful tool of the ANP to stimulate the increase of exploratory activity in Brazil ”, said the director.

Until now, the area nomination process has been available as an “Instruction for the Nomination of Areas”, a guideline published on the Bidding Rounds page, on the ANP portal.

The ANP proposal meets the guidelines of the Oil and Natural Gas Exploration and Production Policy of the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), which, in articles 1, §1, VIII c / c 3, I, “a ”, From CNPE Resolution No. 17/2017, highlight the importance of encouraging the nomination of areas by economic agents, in order to attract investments and expand geological and geophysical studies in Brazilian sedimentary basins.

The draft resolution was in public consultation from 7/21 to 9/3/2020. The comments received at the consultation and at the hearing will be analyzed technically by the ANP and, after legal assessment and approval by the Agency's board, the new resolution may be published.