Globalisation:Petrobas (Brazil)

José Sérgio Gabrielli de Azevedo born in Salvador (Bahia). Economist, graduated from the Federal University of Bahia. He held the posts of Financial Director and Director of Investor Relations at Petrobras from February 1, 2003 to July 21, 2005, with responsibility for the Executive Management of Accounting, Finance, Project Finance, Investor Relations, Financial Planning and Tax Administration. On July 22, 2005 he took the post of President of Petrobras, for which he was designated by the Executive Board. He was also elected as a member of the Executive Board of Petrobras Distribuidora-BR, for the same period. He is President of the Executive Board of Petrobras Transporte S.A. – TRANSPETRO, Petrobras Química S.A. – PETROQUISA and Petrobras Gás S.A. – GASPETRO.

company history

The national oil company of Brazil and directly or through its subsidiaries is engaged in the exploration, production, refining, distribution, import, export, marketing and transportation of hydrocarbons and oil products.

ranked 50 out of the Forbes Global 200.

Petrobas » Vision for 2020 We will be among the world’s top five integrated energy companies and the company our publics of interest prefer. » Mission Perform in a safe and profitable manner, with social and environmental responsibility, both in the domestic and international markets, providing products and services that are appropriate for our customers’ needs and contributing to the development of Brazil and of the countries where we have operations.

controversies/issues

Even Petrobras, the Brazilian state corporation that is a leading exploiter of the natural resource wealth of Latin America, was busy trumpeting itself as a friend of the Forum. There was a strong sense of going backward rather than forward in Nairobi.

The president of Bolivia's state energy company has accused the Brazilian energy company Petrobras of "sabotage," blaming it for problems in supplying diesel fuel in Bolivia. Petrobras Bolivia de Refinacion, a subsidiary of Petrobras, is one of the companies responsible for importing government-subsidized diesel into Bolivia, but it has stopped doing it in recent days. On May 1, President Evo Morales nationalized Bolivia's natural gas industry decreeing that the state company would take majority control over all energy operations in the country. He gave foreign energy companies six months to negotiate new contracts or leave the country. Petrobras -- formally Petroleos Brasileiro SA -- is Bolivia's largest investor, having sunk US$1.6 billion in the past decade, and it has the most to lose from the nationalization. Brazil also gets half of its natural gas from Bolivia. The nationalization decree cause tension between Petrobras and the Bolivian government and Petrobras says it plans to reduce its dependence on Bolivian gas. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has soothed relations lately, saying Brazil will continue to buy gas from Bolivia, at least in the short term.

Conservation groups based in Washington warned today that the Peruvian government is signing so many contracts with multinational oil companies that half the rainforest of the Peruvian Amazon is now covered with oil leases. ‘Over 97 million acres of the Peruvian Amazon, roughly the size of California, is now zoned for oil and gas exploration and exploitation,’ says Dr. Matt Finer of Save America’s Forests. ‘That represents well over one-half of the remaining intact Peruvian rainforest.’There are now 39 active oil concessions in the Peruvian Amazon, all but eight leased in the last three years. In 2003, Peru lowered royalties on exploration, intensifying interest from foreign oil companies.‘Eighteen different multinational companies currently operate concessions in the Peruvian Amazon,’ said Ellie Happel of Environmental Defense. ‘These include American companies Occidental, ConocoPhillips, Barrett, Harken, Hunt, and Amareda Hess.’

In addition, Pluspetrol of Argentina, Petrobras of Brazil, Repsol of Spain, Petrolifera of Canada, and Sipet of China are all operating multiple concessions.