The plans to build a center of excellence for the shipbuilding industry in Brazil were highlighted in the presentation made by Paulo Sergio Rodrigues Alonso, Petrobras Local Content Advisor to the CEO and the Executive Coordinator of Prominp, during an event sponsored by the Brazil-Texas Chamber of Commerce (Bratecc), which took place today (May 8), in Houston, an event occurring in parallel with the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

Paulo Alonso stressed that the biggest challenge today is to push the pre-salt forward in the shipbuilding industry and the shipyards. "NASA's slogan is well-fitting in this situation ''Failure is not an option''. We are working with the shipyards so that we can meet the demand and stay on track with the schedule defined in our Business Plan, they cannot fail. There are many challenges in achieving a benchmark in the shipbuilding industry, and partnerships with international companies and Universities are absolutely essential", concluded the executive.

The average local content in Petrobras'' exploration and production operations today is between 55% and 65%. "For the other 35% we need the support of international companies so we can develop our projects. We understand that the association with international companies is the best solution for technological bottlenecks, in addition to working in partnership with universities to achieve long-term results", he explained.

Paulo Alonso highlighted the growth in demand for goods and services for the shipbuilding industry over the next five years. "All Petrobras contracts are based on international standards, so we know the cost of the equipment and services within the project."

The executive also highlighted Petrobras local content policy, the Prominp (National Mobilization Program of the Petroleum Industry) and the importance of the Brazilian shipbuilding industry's growth. "While oil and gas production continues to grow with the development of the pre-salt, investment opportunities and partnerships in the sector will continue to grow for investors in the entire oil supply chain. Due to the operations in the pre-salt and the magnitude of our business plan, perspectives and specifics of deepwater exploration, we cannot use off-the-shelf equipment, we need to develop technology and equipment to meet this demand", he said.

"International companies interested in establishing themselves in Brazil are welcome and will work in partnership with Brazilian companies, or even by themselves", Paulo Alonso concluded.

Another highlight was the presentation by Bráulio Bastos, Executive Manager of Engineering for Exploration and Production Ventures, who detailed the Company''s Business Plan, highlighting the growth forecast of the production curve over the next seven years as a result of new production projects.

"This growth is linked to the quality of investment opportunities and Petrobras has many strategic advantages, such as market growth and the oil industry as a whole, the proximity of exploration areas and the infrastructure base that already exists in Brazil, in addition to the benefit of being an integrated oil company".

Magda Chambriard, ANP's General Director, was also one of the speakers and highlighted the gas exploration opportunities in Brazil, which is expected to double soon because of the pre-salt potential and the work being done to reduce operational risks and attract investments from public and private companies.

Also present at the event was Cláudio Nunes, the newly elected CEO of Petrobras'' operations in the United States and the Brazil-Texas Chamber of Commerce.

Business Opportunities - On the previous day, Prominp's Executive Coordinator, Paulo Sergio Rodrigues Alonso, also attended a breakfast sponsored by the Financial Times and the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Events (APEX), together with Ronaldo Martins, Petrobras Manager of Supplier Relationship Management, to lecture on business opportunities in the Brazilian supply chain and the challenges in the oil and gas market.

Martins said that Petrobras began to focus more on the Brazilian industry and the expansion of local content for goods and services in the 1960s, when some imported material started to be substituted.

Over the last five years, more than US$ 240 billion was invested in Petrobras' operations, resulting in great opportunities for companies that want to work with the Company: "These companies need to understand our needs, understand how we do business, the technical requirements and the environment that surround those needs and the supply strategy that we are outlining for our largest suppliers", he said.

Then, Ronaldo Martins also highlighted Petrobras' robust portfolio, atypical in the current economic climate: "There are great market opportunities for companies that are already set up in Brazil providing services and engineering, as well as for those that are interested in investing in Brazil. To develop our portfolio, we are looking to establish partnerships and to do long-term solid businesses with companies that want to invest in Brazil", the executive concluded.