Page 17 - LatAmOil Week 43 2020

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It has also urged the investors to give further support plans for oil and gas drilling in the basin.
consideration to the diplomatic and logistical For example, Lucas Barreto, a senator from the
challenges – such as the need for co-ordinated state, has urged ANP and IBAMA not to delay
responses in the event of an oil spill in Foz do Foz do Amazonas projects.
Amazonas, which is near Brazil’s border with Neither agency has said whether the change
French Guiana – involved in such projects. of operatorship might affect its willingness to let
Many officials in Amapá have said they work at FZA-M-59 go forward. ™

Brazilian police extend corruption

probe to diesel, jet fuel contracts

BRAZILIAN authorities have extended the with a probe into foreign exchange transactions
long-running Lava Jato (“Car Wash”) corrup- carried out by Petrobras around a decade ago.
tion investigation to review certain petroleum Federal police issued 25 search warrants as part
product contracts signed by Petrobras, the state- of the new probe, and Banco Paulista, a São Pau-
run oil company. The contracts in question are lo-based financial firm, has been identified as
mostly international diesel and jet fuel supply one of the parties under investigation.
deals, according to a Reuters report that cited Meanwhile, US prosecutors charged a for-
court filings. mer US-based employee of Swiss energy trading
According to the documents, the Brazil- firm Vitol with bribery conspiracy and money
ian federal police have issued search warrants laundering last month within the framework
against six individuals and two businesses of the Brazilian probe. They took action on the
related to one of them as part of the new phase basis of allegations that the Vitol employee was
of the probe. They explained this move by saying involved with the payment of an $870,000 bribe
they had found evidence via Petrobras offices in to government officials in Ecuador in order to
Houston, London and Singapore of bribe pay- win a $300mn oil contract. ™
ments valued at BRL12mn ($2.09mn) to Petro-
bras employees, the report said.
The alleged payments occurred within the
framework of 61 international fuel trade oper-
ations that took place between 2005 and 2015,
it added. In these transactions, which involved
3.3bn litres of petroleum products, Petrobras
employees were allegedly bribed to favour spe-
cific buyers.
Petrobras’ management has denied involve-
ment with the scheme. In an email sent to Reu-
ters, the company described itself as a victim of
corrupt employees. It also stressed that it had
been co-operating with Brazilian authorities
to provide the information that led to the new
phase of the Lava Jato probe.
Additionally, the firm claimed that it did not
learn of the police warrants until after the police
operation had been made public last week.
Lava Jato, Brazil’s largest-ever corruption
investigation, entered its 74th phase last month Petrobras’ management has denied involvement with the scheme (Photo: Poder 360)

Week 43 29•October•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P17