Page 12 - LatAmOil Week 02 2023

LatAmOil BRAZIL LatAmOil

(In the interim, the office is being held by a care- observers, some of whom have expressed con-
taker – Petrobras’ chief of production develop- cern about the possibility that the Lula admin-
ment, João Henrique Rittershaussen.) istration might take a more interventionist
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s new pres- approach to Petrobras.
ident, named Prates as his nominee for the Ricardo Campos; the head of investments
CEO spot at Petrobras in late December, just a at Reach Capital, pointed out to Reuters last
few days before his inauguration on January 1. week that the NOC’s share prices had risen in
Prates has been serving as a senator, represent- response to Prates’ words. Even though the for-
ing the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil’s mer senator has spoken similarly in the past, he
National Congress, and was also the Lula cam- is now giving more clear indications of his com-
paign’s point man for hydrocarbon issues and a mitment to not intervening directly in domestic
member of the president-elect’s transition team. fuel pricing, Campos explained.
The incoming CEO’s statements about fuel “It’s not exactly news, but today the market
pricing policy appear to have reassured market believed more,” he told the news agency. ™

Petrobras increases security at

refineries in response to threats

TWO sources inside Petrobras told Reuters the same day that several thousand Bolsonaro
on January 8 that the Brazilian national oil supporters invaded Brazil’s main government
company (NOC) has taken the precautionary buildings – the National Congress, the presiden-
measure of ramping up security measures at its tial palace and the Supreme Court – to protest
refineries after learning that threats had been against the outcome of the elections held last
made against its assets. autumn. Bolsonaro never formally conceded
The sources, who spoke on condition of ano- after losing the election in the second round of
nymity, did not describe the exact nature of the voting to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist can-
threats. They said, though, that the threats had didate, last autumn, though he acknowledged
been directed at oil-processing plants in Paraná, his defeat and took no steps to prevent the tran-
Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states. sition of power.
Additionally, they noted that Petrobras’ intel- Petrobras maintains a private security force
ligence unit had detected the threats in the pro- of about 1,000 people to protect its refineries
cess of monitoring social media posts made by and other assets. The government-controlled
right-wing supporters of former President Jair company is working with the police forces of the
Bolsonaro. states where its refineries are located to counter
The Petrobras insiders were speaking on these new threats, Reuters reported.

Local authorities stepped up security measures at the REDUC refinery (Photo: Petrobras)

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 02 11•January•2023