Page 4 - LatAmOil Week 05 2023

LatAmOil COMMENTARY LatAmOil

Prates is a former Senator (Photo: Brazilian Report)

Petrobras’ new CEO

With Lula’s ally in charge, Brazil’s NOC may focus more on downstream operations

BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva issues and was a member of the president-elect’s
scored a victory at Petrobras last week, when the transition team prior to the inauguration on
WHAT: national oil company (NOC) announced that January 1.
Petrobras’ board of direc- its board of directors had confirmed Jean Paul Prates also has a substantial amount of prac-
tors has approved Jean Prates as its new CEO. tical experience in the hydrocarbon industry,
Paul Prates’ nomination Lula named Prates as his choice for the post independently of his exposure to the subject as a
as CEO. in late December, after state-owned Petrobras member of Brazil’s National Congress. As Petro-
revealed that then-CEO Caio Mario Paes de bras pointed out in its January 26 statement, the
WHY: Andrade intended to step down before the end senator has earned one master’s degree in energy
The change of leadership of his term in the spring of 2023. The NOC then policy and environmental management from a
is likely to be accom- confirmed in a statement that members of the US university and a second master’s degree in
panied by a greater
emphasis on downstream board had voted unanimously to approve Prates’ oil and gas economics and management from
operations. nomination on January 26. a French university, as well as a Brazilian law
The administration’s decision to put Prates, degree. He has served as legal counsel for Petro-
WHAT NEXT: who has been representing Brazil’s Rio Grande bras’ international arm, editor of an oil and gas
The new CEO still has do Norte State in Brazil’s Senate, in charge of industry trade journal and executive director
to clarify how he will Petrobras is hardly surprising. of Expetro Consultoria em Recursos Naturais,
approach refinery The former senator has been one of the pres- a major energy consultancy that advised many
privatisation. ident’s close allies and supporters. He served as public and private-sector clients, the company
the Lula campaign’s point man for oil and gas said.

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