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Petrobras Exits Natural Gas Distribution Segment in Uruguay

Written by Paulo Nogueira
Published on 01/10/2019 at 11:22
Petrobras gás natural no Uruguai
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Petrobras Informed That the Operation Occurred Through an Agreement Between the Uruguayan President, Tabaré Vázquez, and the Company’s President, Roberto Castello Branco.

On this Monday, September 30, the Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras issued a statement saying it has completed the return to the Uruguayan government of the gas distributor concessions that the company held in Uruguay. The state-owned company decided to take the initiative and adhere starting today, 01, to the reduction of sulfur in marine fuel to 0.5% at the expense of the environment.

According to a statement issued by the state-owned company, the subsidiary Petrobras Uruguay Sociedad Anónima de Inversiones (Pusai) transferred its shares in the companies Distribuidora de Gas de Montevideo S.A. (DGM) and Conecta S.A. to the Uruguayan State.

As a result, Petrobras is exiting the natural gas distribution segment in Uruguay.

Petrobras informed that the operation occurred through an agreement, in accordance with the negotiations held between the Uruguayan president, Tabaré Vázquez, and the company’s president, Roberto Castello Branco, as was announced on July 16.

Petrobras’s operations in Uruguay began in 2004 when it signed concession contracts with Conecta, and in 2006, it signed contracts with DGM.

Since then, Petrobras reported, the scenario for the gas distribution sector in Uruguay has changed drastically due to changes in the conditions for importing Argentine gas, which became the sole source of supply for the country.

The changes caused supply restrictions and economic-financial imbalances in the contracts of distributors in Uruguay.

The problem worsened starting in 2008, with the price of importing Argentine gas to Uruguay multiplying eightfold from 2005 to 2015.

The situation deteriorated when the government abandoned the project to build a regasification plant, which could have solved the supply issue, according to Petrobras.

The plant would reduce the uncertainties and risks associated with importing gas from Argentina. According to Petrobras, since the beginning of the concessions, the losses totaled US$ 116 million.

Petrobras informed that, regarding the international arbitration involving the gas distributor Conecta S.A., the subsidiary’s claim against the Uruguayan government was only partially met, as it decided that the Uruguayan State would have to review the concession contract in full.

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Paulo Nogueira

Eletrotécnica formado em umas das instituições de ensino técnico do país, o Instituto Federal Fluminense - IFF ( Antigo CEFET), atuei diversos anos na áreas de petróleo e gás offshore, energia e construção. Hoje com mais de 8 mil publicações em revistas e blogs online sobre o setor de energia, o foco é prover informações em tempo real do mercado de empregabilidade do Brasil, macro e micro economia e empreendedorismo. Para dúvidas, sugestões e correções, entre em contato no e-mail informe@en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br. Vale lembrar que não aceitamos currículos neste contato.

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