Brazil energy watch

Gás Natural Açu (GNA) has signed agreements with Nova Transportadora do Sudeste (NTS) and Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG) for the study of new gas pipelines in Rio de Janeiro state. 

The pipelines would connect GNA's thermoelectric power plants at the Açu port (pictured), as well as industries located in the complex, to the gas transportation grids of NTS and TAG. 

In the case of NTS, the MOU calls for the installation of a 105km bidirectional pipeline and additional assets necessary to connect to GNA’s project, which includes a LNG regasification terminal and two thermal plants, to the Cabiúnas terminal, in Macaé. 

The pipeline would be capable of receiving, from a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), up to 15Mm3/d (million cubic meters per day) of natural gas and delivering up to 16Mm3/d. 

The MOU with TAG calls for the deployment of a 45km bidirectional pipeline designed to receive up to 10Mm3/d of gas from the FSRU and delivering up to 12Mm3/d to the thermoelectric park and the port’s industrial complex, with capacity for future expansions up to 18Mm3/d. 

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Ocyan said it created a new company called DrillCo, which will focus on the drilling business with its five rigs: ODN I, ODN II, Norbe VI, Norbe VIII and Norbe IX. 

The new corporate structure is created in the context of a financial debt restructuring at the company’s drilling unit. 

The shareholders of the new company will consist of the holders of the debt that is backed by the drilling assets, DrillCo’s board, and Ocyan holding a minority stake.

Ocyan will continue with its focus on the areas of production, subsea construction, maintenance and offshore services, and it said the new capital structure will allow both firms to improve competitiveness in their respective operating segments. 

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Oil and gas regulator ANP established on Monday a 72-hour deadline for national oil company Petrobras to halt all activities in its oil and gas fields in Bahia state after an audit found problems and irregularities.

The state’s oil workers union (Sindipetro-BA) said in a statement that 20,000b/d of oil and 4bn reais worth of annual gross revenue will be paralyzed by the action, directly impacting the budgets of seven municipalities (Esplanada, Cardeal da Silva, Entre Rios, Alagoinhas, Catu, São Sebastião do Passé and Araças). 

In addition, the shutdown will generate around 4,500 layoffs at companies that provide services to Petrobras in the areas, according to the union.

Upon a request from BNamericas, the Petrobras press office said the company received a notice for the shutdown of operations in 37 onshore oil and gas production facilities in Bahia. 

“The company is taking the necessary measures for the safe shutdown of the facilities and reinforces that it conducts its operations in accordance with the strictest international standards of safety, health and respect for the environment,” it said. 

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The 12 global oil and gas companies that are part of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) have jointly reduced absolute methane emissions by about 40% and absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 18% since 2017, Petrobras said in a release. 

Created in 2017, members include Petrobras, Shell, CNPC, Equinor, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and Chevron, and they account for approximately 30% of global oil and gas production. 

The companies have invested a combined US$40bn in low-carbon solutions over the past five years to cut emissions. 

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The country’s supply of hydroelectric power grew 15% year-on-year in September while gas and coal-fired generation fell more than 50%, according the latest monthly report from the mining and energy ministry (MME). 

The increase in hydraulic generation is a result of the improvement in rainfall rates this year.

For this year, MME projects that 46.7% of the energy matrix will be composed of renewable sources (up from 44.7% in 2021), and in the electric power matrix the participation will be 86% (up from 78.1% last year).

Final energy consumption is expected to grow around 1.6% in 2022, while energy supply is expected to decrease by 0.8%, due to lower generation from thermoelectric plants and reduced sugar cane production. 

For the electric matrix, MME forecasts a strong increase in solar generation of around 70%, and expansions of 11% for both wind and hydraulic generation.

The rapid growth in solar generation is due to the forecasted 2022 increase of more than 80% in installed capacity of distributed solar generation (DG), corresponding to an advance of more than 7GW, which could reach 16GW by the end of the year. 

The installed capacity of centralized solar generation is expected to expand by more than 50%, with MME seeing it possibly reaching more than 7GW.

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Electric power regulator Aneel approved consumer price adjustments for three local distributors. 

In the case of Energisa Rondônia Distribuidora de Energia, the average increase was 22%, and for Energisa Acre, 15.5%. 

In the case of Light, there was an average reduction of 5.89%.