Petrobras president’s political project may influence management

The political project of the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, may influence some of his first measures at the state-owned company.

Prates has an electoral base in Rio Grande do Norte. He was an alternate for Fatima Bezerra, from the PT, who was elected governor in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. In the PT, he is seen as a natural candidate to succeed her, in 2026.

As a result, the state is considered an important focus of his tenure at Petrobras. It is there that more than 30% of the country’s wind energy is concentrated. Prates has already signaled internally and to the governor himself that he intends to reinforce this sector in the state, both in the development of this matrix and in the reinforcement of the state-owned company’s personnel in the state.

But it is another point that has generated more controversy behind the scenes. He is considering reviewing points in a sale contract for a refinery in his state, Rio Grande do Norte, according to Petrobras sources.

Known in the state as the Clara Camarão refinery, it was sold to the company 3R Potiguar, a subsidiary of 3R Petroleum, for US$ 1.38 billion. After the sale, its name became Ativo Industrial Guamaré. It is part of what the oil sector calls the “potiguar pole”, which also includes onshore oil fields and an offshore oil field.

The contract was signed in February 2022 and the company has even already paid a first part of the down payment, something around US$ 100 million. If there is a decision to eliminate the refinery from the package, the entire contract will need to be revised.

The refinery is small and produces around 40,000 barrels per day. Its estimated value, according to Petrobras sources, is R$500 million.

A CNN sought out 3R, but she did not respond. Prates also declined to comment.