Fourth pre-salt round has R$738 million in planned investments
The fourth production-sharing round in the pre-salt, held 7 June by ANP, raised R$3.15 billion in signing bonuses and R$738 million in planned investments on the exploration phase. The goodwill of the profit oil offered in the fourth round was 202.3%. Three of the four offered areas were acquired: Uirapuru, Dois Irmãos and Três Marias.
“The round was extremely successful, attracting attention from large companies,” Décio Oddone, ANP Director General, said. “The process of attracting investments to the country continues. We will see the results in the future, through the production of oil and gas, job creation, royalties and taxes. The revenues expected by the federal government, states and municipalities will grow by R$40 billion over what was initially expected, over these contracts.”
Present at the event were the ANP directors, Mr Oddone, Aurélio Amaral, Dirceu Amorelli, Felipe Kury and José Cesário Cecchi; former directors and authorities, such as the Minister of Mines and Energy, Wellington Moreira Franco; and of the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Ronaldo Fonseca de Souza.
In the bids under the production-sharing regime, the winning companies are those who offer the Federal State, from a minimum percentage set in the tender protocol, the largest portion of oil and natural gas produced (i.e., the largest portion of profit oil). The signing bonuses, also defined in the tender protocol, are fixed.
According to the law in force, Petrobras has the right of first refusal to act as operator in blocks of the pre-salt. The company opted to be the operator in all the acquired areas.
The fourth production-sharing round continues the calendar of rounds, which contribute to the recovery of the sector and attract investments to the country. The fifth round is scheduled for 28 September and will offer the areas of Saturno, Titã, Pau-Brasil and Sudoeste de Tartaruga Verde, located in the basins of Campos and Santos, within the pre-salt polygon and in an area declared strategic. The Brazilian pre-salt has one of the largest potentials of reserves to be developed on the planet.
The calendar of rounds includes, until 2021: the sixth production-sharing round, with areas in the pre-salt polygon, and the 16th, 17th and 18th bidding rounds of blocks, under the concession regime. In addition, the open acreage of areas started this year. It consists of the continuous offer of fields and blocks returned (or in the process of being returned) to the ANP and exploration blocks offered in previous rounds but not acquired. The rounds planned until 2021 and the open acreage may result in a significant increase in the area under concession in Brazil and in the country’s oil and gas reserves.
See below the results of the acquired blocks:
