ExxonMobil has been operating in Brazil since the opening of the sector in 1997, until 2016. During that period, the company acquired only four exploration blocks and returned two of them (one in the Potiguar Basin and another in Santos).
From then on, however, the major’s participation in ANP auctions has been overwhelming, resulting in the acquisition of the largest number of areas among the oil companies, considering the last two rounds of concession (14th and 15th) and of sharing (2nd and 3rd).
On those occasions Exxon took a total of 19 blocks, two more than Petrobras and 12 more than the Anglo-Dutch Shell, third placed in the ranking designed by Brazil Energia Petróleo based on data from the regulatory agency.
The advantage of the major also impresses: there were 19 winning proposals in 21 presented – a success rate of 90%, compared to 77% in the case of Petrobras. Exxon is ranked 12th in this category, but the 11 companies that reached 100%, such as Wintershall, Eneva and QGEP, did not have more than seven areas in those same rounds.
The only two areas that Exxon was unable to seize were Perobra, in the Santos basin – won by the consortium set up by Petrobras (40%) CNODC (20%) and BP (40%), and in the 2nd Round the block CM-791 in Campos, acquired by the partnership between Shell (40%), Chevron (40%) and Petrogal (20%).
The Campos Basin has been the major focus of Exxon, accounting for 12 of the 19 blocks acquired by the company since 2016. The company also carried four assets in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin and three in Santos, including the Norte de Carcará area, Round of the pre-salt.
In all, 29 companies acquired 111 areas in the auctions analyzed by the report. Among these groups, there are 11 Brazilians, three Chinese, three Spaniards and three Americans, as well as Germans, Australians, Bermudians, Qataries, French, Norwegians, Portuguese and Britons.
Source: Brazil Energy Magazine
Brazil Energy Insight 
Leave a comment