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The Shutdown Of Petrobras Oil And Gas Activities Was Ordered By ANP On Monday And If Activities Are Not Interrupted By Tomorrow, The Oil Company Will Face Serious Consequences Such As Loss Of Revenues And Mass Unemployment
The ANP (National Agency of Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels) issued an official notification to Petrobras on Monday, 12, ordering that the activities in its oil and gas fields in Bahia be suspended within 72 hours, according to the Sindipetro website.
The announcement of the decision was made after an internal audit was conducted in Petrobras’s oil and gas production areas in the state of Bahia. In this audit, which began on the 5th of this month, ANP technicians found problems and irregularities, which led to the total shutdown of these fields until Petrobras resolves all the issues.
According to directors of Sindipetro-BA, who are monitoring the situation, the decision by ANP was contested by Petrobras technicians, who even proposed deadlines to correct the existing problems; however, ANP did not accept this and sent the notification to Petrobras, ordering a complete halt of operations in the fields.
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Shutdown And Its Implications
In the opinion of Sindipetro-BA, what stands out is the shutdown of 20,000 barrels of oil daily and a loss of R$ 4 billion in annual revenue, which would directly impact the budgets of seven municipalities: Entre Rios, Alagoinhas, Esplanada, Cardeal da Silva, Catu, São Sebastião do Passé, and Araçás, which will stop receiving royalty and ISS payments made by Petrobras.
Additionally, the suspension of activities in the oil and gas fields could result in approximately 4,500 layoffs, which will have to be made by the various companies that provide services to Petrobras in these areas.
Moreover, this shutdown of the oil and gas fields could have indirect impacts on commerce and also on the productive chain (hotels, gas stations, transportation, restaurants, etc.), in addition to the economy, especially in the municipalities of Bahia, which in turn affects the state economy.
Fields Could Remain Closed For Six Months
Sindipetro also recalls that ANP has shown on various occasions that it is not interested in Petrobras continuing its activities in the fields of Bahia, which signifies the total privatization of the fields, already underway in the state, and will be finalized if the current management of Petrobras succeeds in selling the Bahia Terra Polo.
The union suspects that there may be ulterior motives behind the measure instituted by ANP, being yet another attempt to remove Petrobras from the terrestrial distribution of oil and gas in Bahia.
“This halt could mean a total shutdown of the fields for about six months while adjustments are made, so it’s completely unreasonable,” complains Radiovaldo.
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