ΕιδήσειςΕυρωπαϊκές Ειδήσεις Brazil Oil Auction Draws Interest, But Also Protests dj Τρι, 22 Οκτωβρίου 2013 - 19:00
Brazil plans to auction off stakes in one of the world's largest offshore oil fields on Monday, in a move that will yield billions of dollars for government coffers, but which is drawing popular opposition because of the participation of foreign oil companies. President Dilma Rousseff and her Workers' Party expect the development of the field to fuel economic growth, creating jobs and funding improvements in education and health care demanded by millions of street protesters earlier this year. The Libra field is estimated to hold eight billion to 12 billion barrels of recoverable oil and to generate $1 trillion in government revenue over 30 years, say local oil regulators. Eleven companies, 10 of which are foreign, have registered for the auction, including Chinese government-run concerns Cnooc Ltd. and China National Petroleum Corp., France 's Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Still, some of the world's largest oil groups, including Exxon Corp., have stayed away. In part, that reflects major shifts of emphasis in the global energy industry, with hydraulic fracturing technology unlocking enormous natural-gas reserves in the U.S. and emerging production areas that are drawing industry interest in Africa . But critics say another factor discouraging some is the model Brazil 's government will use for the Libra auction. They say it reduces oil companies to just financial partners, unable to use their expertise and technology to squeeze more profit from the field because Brazil's state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, will lead development. "The oil industry doesn't lack for areas to put money into, and most of those areas have none of these crazy rules and very tight [profit] margins," said Cleveland Jones, researcher at Brazil 's National Oil and Gas Institute at Rio de Janeiro State University . Ms. Rousseff is up for re-election next year and faces some popular dissent over the sale. Unions representing Petrobras workers started a nationwide strike Thursday to stop the sale, which they argue will put Brazil 's wealth in natural resources into the hands of foreigners. There is also discontent about high consumer prices, poor public services and corruption. Anger erupted in June, when millions of Brazilians hit the streets in protest, sometimes violent, which have lingered since, albeit on a smaller scale. "We think the presalt resources should be used to finance solutions to our social problems," Francisco Soriano, a 70-year-old union leader and longtime Petrobras employee, said Friday. He was referring to the oil-rich presalt geological formation on Brazil 's continental shelf. Mr. Soriano spoke amid tents set up by social groups as part of an "Occupy Petrobras" camp in front of the company's downtown Rio headquarters. The protest encampment consists of members of groups representing the homeless and rural farm workers and features banners that echo slogans such as "The Oil is Ours!," a national rally cry that led to the creation of Petrobras 60 years ago. The national pride in Petrobras also plays a part in opposition to the sale. "Petrobras discovered the presalt. There isn't any other company in the world with more experience in the presalt than Petrobras," said Walter Bahia, a retiree who worked on Petrobras' offshore oil platforms for more than 30 years. Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobao on Saturday sought to repel some of the criticism, saying the oil field will produce a vast wealth for Brazil , a large part of which has been designated for health care and education, two areas at the center of the street protests. He rejected accusations that Brazil 's oil industry is being privatized. Meanwhile, Ms. Rousseff has ordered 1,100 soldiers to seal off the Rio hotel where the auction will take place. And government lawyers continued fighting legal challenges to the sale over the weekend, according to Brazil 's attorney general's office. Winning bidders will spend about $200 billion over 35 years to pump Libra's oil out of a reservoir beneath its deep Atlantic waters. Διαβάστε ακόμα Ποια Είναι η Επόμενη Ευρωπαία Επίτροπος Περιβάλλοντος; Τρι, 27 Αυγούστου 2024 - 17:40 Σερβία: Κατάρρευση του Αγροτικού Τομέα λόγω της Λειψυδρίας Τρι, 27 Αυγούστου 2024 - 17:20 Λιώνει Ταχύτατα ο Μεγαλύτερος Παγετώνας της Γαλλίας Τρι, 27 Αυγούστου 2024 - 17:00 ΕΕ: Βοήθεια 101,5 Εκατομμυρίων Ευρώ στην Ελλάδα για τις Πλημμύρες του 2023 Τρι, 27 Αυγούστου 2024 - 16:20 Great Sea Interconnector: Θα Λύσουν τον 'Γόρδιο Δεσμό' Μητσοτάκης και Χριστοδουλίδης; Τρι, 27 Αυγούστου 2024 - 16:00
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