Petrobras to discuss resuming nitrogen fertilizer plant construction, say local officials
By Ana Mano
SAO PAULO, Feb 3 (Reuters) -The board of Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobras PETR4.SA is expected to discuss this month plans to resume construction of a nitrogen fertilizer plant in the central-western part of the country, two government officials in Mato Grosso do Sul state told Reuters.
Jaime Verruck, the state's secretary for environment and development, said he expects Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the firm is known formally, to finish the plant in the town of Tres Lagoas after getting clearance from the board.
Petrobras declined to comment on the possibility of resuming the project, which was halted in 2014 with about a fifth of construction work remaining.
The company said last month it was scrapping plans to sell the project.
"The indication at the moment, but this depends on the approval of the Petrobras board of directors, is that Petrobras itself would conclude the work," Verruck told Reuters.
Renewed investment in fertilizer production would mark a dramatic shift for Petrobras, which spent years trying to sell the Tres Lagoas project and other such assets to focus on offshore petroleum fields. It would also spell a reboot for a national fertilizer production plan to reduce import dependence.
Management appointed by Brazil's new government has signaled plans to boost investments and diversify Petrobras operations beyond oil and gas.
Jose Moraes, the municipal development secretary in Tres Lagoas, said local authorities are excited about the fertilizer venture.
"The prospects are the best possible," Moraes said, adding that local authorities "will do what it takes" to advance the project.
Much of the work so far will have to be revisited, however, due to the extended halt to construction, with nothing but maintenance to on-site equipment in the interim, Moraes said.
Verruck said the plant could be finished in two years, with capacity to replace the equivalent of 18% of Brazil's urea imports in 2022 and 12% of ammonia imports, he said.
Moraes, who said municipal authorities participated in talks with Russia's Acron when it was negotiating to buy the plant, said that deal collapsed last April after the prospective buyer's agreement to buy gas from Bolivia fell through.
Reporting by Ana Mano
Editing by Frances Kerry
免責聲明: XM Group提供線上交易平台的登入和執行服務，允許個人查看和/或使用網站所提供的內容，但不進行任何更改或擴展其服務和訪問權限，並受以下條款與條例約束：（i）條款與條例；（ii）風險提示；（iii）完全免責聲明。網站內部所提供的所有資訊，僅限於一般資訊用途。請注意，我們所有的線上交易平台內容並不構成，也不被視為進入金融市場交易的邀約或邀請 。金融市場交易會對您的投資帶來重大風險。
所有缐上交易平台所發佈的資料，僅適用於教育/資訊類用途，不包含也不應被視爲適用於金融、投資稅或交易相關諮詢和建議，或是交易價格紀錄，或是任何金融商品或非應邀途徑的金融相關優惠的交易邀約或邀請。
本網站的所有XM和第三方所提供的内容，包括意見、新聞、研究、分析、價格其他資訊和第三方網站鏈接，皆爲‘按原狀’，並作爲一般市場評論所提供，而非投資建議。請理解和接受，所有被歸類為投資研究範圍的相關内容，並非爲了促進投資研究獨立性，而根據法律要求所編寫，而是被視爲符合營銷傳播相關法律與法規所編寫的内容。請確保您已詳讀並完全理解我們的非獨立投資研究提示和風險提示資訊，相關詳情請點擊 這裡查看。
