Event that precedes Brasil Offshore 2017, brought together large multinationals in the oil sector in order to reach a final conclusion

With absolute exclusivity, the Click Petróleo e Gás page was invited to the great pre-launch event of Brasil Offshore 2017, the Avant Premiére.

We were with the largest companies and authorities in the oil industry on the planet, who are fighting relentlessly for this branch to attract investment and generate jobs again. In the following paragraphs, you will find out what the main representatives of the oil industry think about the crisis, possible solutions and the recovery of the economy.

In the first part of the event, the famous journalist and anchor of Jornal o Globo, William Waack, was in charge of chairing the lecture and managing the debates and clashes of the entities that were represented there. He began his speech focusing on the premise that everything that would be uttered in his words, would be free and under his full responsibility, and that his purpose for being there was only as a speaker and not as a representative of the company he works for (Globo).

In his words, he says that the crisis is a reflection of government disservice over the years, simply because social spending is greater than what the government manages to collect. Ironically, he dubbed this moment “The Moment of Truth”. We all knew that this moment would come sooner or later, but not so soon, right?

Waack showed himself to be a declared opponent of the PT government, he spoke without pity and that it hurts even to those who should hurt! With harsh words and criticism of our managers, he says that other countries see our situation as depressing because of semi-illiterate managers (need I say the name?) and who are not enlightened about the economic issues that the country is experiencing.

Soon after, the vice president of Reed Exhibitions, Paulo Octávio, who is responsible for organizing the Brasil Offshore 2017 event, says he is very happy because despite the inglorious moment that the country is experiencing, Macaé is still at the center of projections for business in the sector of oil and gas for many years to come. Of the 40 years of exploration and production in the Campos Basin, there have been 20 events in Brasil Offshore organized by Reed to date.

The president of the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (IBP), said in the lecture that Brazil is geologically very favorable in the oil sector and said that the problem is not the lack of it, but external factors. In several conversations and meetings with executives abroad, he states that Brazil is still highly regarded and quoted worldwide, because few countries in the world manage to produce 50 thousand barrels of oil per day in individual wells, and on the scale of interest of foreigners we are 5th on that scale. The IBP states that preliminary studies indicate that Brazilian oil and land reserves could reach an incredible 200 billion barrels. Using a bit of sarcasm, he said that the "age of oil" will come to an end, due to other alternative energy sources and that we will not be able to produce all the fossil fuel available in our reserves.

Asked that we have so many oil reserves and there are no investments, the president of the IBP affirms that the government has very high fees and that we need more sole operators besides Petrobras, just in this way to the possibility of maximizing business in this branch of industry. Companies want to invest, but are reluctant to make additional investments because Rio de Janeiro, which concentrates most of the business, imposes new and unconstitutional taxes at all times.

And to end the round, the main representative of Abaspetro, José Firmo, who manages more than 50 oil companies, emphasizes that the level of technical qualification is the key for those who want to enter this branch. He says that if bada is done now, he says about 500 jobs will cease to exist or be lost. It will be necessary to change local content rules to secure future investments.

Doctor Aluízio, who is the mayor of the National Petroleum Capital, was a little more direct and incisive in saying that the population (the common people) does not understand and does not want to know about technical details, what they want is to see these projects and these economic misfortunes unfold materialize in the form of jobs, security and economic stability. William Waack asked the mayor if she wins elections with that speech and he without blinking said “YES”. His efforts to balance the city's books, despite much criticism, resulted in his re-election in 2017.
Many multinational companies with their respective representatives who were there enjoyed the event very much and were very optimistic and anxious for Brazil to return to being the country of joy and wealth. I don't remember all of them, but the companies that were present were Baker Hughes, Cameron, Chevron, Shell, Engevix, Technip, Odebrecht, Modec, FMC, Petrobras and a bunch more that I didn't have time to write down. In other words, “big dog only”!

As you can see, dear readers, a real task force engaged in restoring the economy in the sector, what is lacking is just the political will to make local content needs more flexible and tax companies less, because despite the abundance of oil, Exploring it in deep waters is expensive and requires a lot of technology, unlike the Arab Emirates, where you can find oil 1 foot under the ground.