ANP sends new studies on two pre salt blocks to the MME

(PN) The board of directors of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) approved the geological and economic studies that resulted in the delimitation of two more pre-salt exploratory blocks: Rubi and Granada, both located in the Santos Basin. The agency will forward the studies to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to analyze the feasibility of including the blocks in future rounds.

According to the ANP, the total area studied is approximately 1,200 km² and its oil potential was estimated at a total average risked volume (taking into account risks and uncertainties) of 2.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. “It is up to the MME to propose to the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) the definition of the blocks that could be the subject of production sharing bidding rounds and the parameters to be adopted”, added the agency.

The regulatory body’s board of directors also approved today its first Strategic Economic Study Plan (SESP). The initiative aims to conduct long-term studies on priority topics, approved by the ANP Board of Directors and aligned with the agency’s strategy. The SESP will comprise empirical research, involving the application of statistical, econometric or computational modeling methods.

The first version of the document brings seven topics to be addressed, in order of priority, in the 2024-2025 biennium: 1. Access to facilities in the oil, natural gas and biofuels industry: theory and regulation (January 2024); 2. Measures to encourage incremental production in mature fields, impacts on oil activity and possible regional influences (June 2024); 3. LPG market: structure, pricing, flows and consumer market (December 2024); 4. Automotive fuel resale market: concentration mapping, improvement of cartel detection methodology and competitive relations between distributors and dealer stations (April 2025); 5. Vertical integration in the downstream chain: history, motivations and results (June 2025); 6. Biofuels markets: structure, pricing, development and impacts for the low-carbon economy (November 25); and 7. Agent-based models (agent-based modeling and simulation) for the fuel industry (December 2025).

“The studies foreseen in the SESP will aim to expand the ANP’s knowledge about the regulated sector, which could support improvements in its regulation. The plan also foresees the establishment of possible partnerships with external researchers. The results of the studies may later be published on the Agency’s website, depending on confidentiality criteria, so that they can be consulted by any interested parties”, concluded the ANP.