Petrobras ya se puso ranchera!!!

Segun el financial times, Petrobras la empresa petrolera brasilenha ya se puso ranchera y no esta dispuesta a que Pemex NO comparta el petroleo con ella,... Aunque no dicen que esten presionando para que se lleve a cabo la privatizacion de PEMEX, o que se permitan los contratos riesgo,..

Abajo la nota,....

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Petrobras rules out Mexican service role
By Ed Crooks in London and Adam Thomson in Mexico City

Published: April 29 2008 18:54 Last updated: April 29 2008 18:54

Petrobras would not be willing to work in Mexico as a service company, being paid a set rate rather than taking a share of oil production, according to Sergio Gabrielli, its chief executive.

Mr Gabrielli told the Financial Times that the Brazilian company had been in negotiations with Mexico. He added, however, that “I think we are not willing to go there as a service company”.

His comments are disappointing for the Mexican government, which faces a mounting crisis in its oil industry.

Oil production, for so long the pillar of Mexico’s economy and from which the government receives almost 40 per cent of its income, is falling faster than expected.

In November 2004, Mexico produced an average of 3.4m barrels per day. In November last year, by contrast, it produced just 2.9m.

Pemex, the state oil company, lacks the money and technical expertise to explore for oil in deep waters, where most analysts believe Mexico’s future lies. Petrobras is a world leader in deep-water exploration.

Mr Gabrielli refused to comment on suggestions that his company would be more acceptable in Mexico than, say, ExxonMobil of the US, saying the issue was “very sensitive”.

He also refused to comment on Mexican policy, saying “they have to decide”.

At the same time, Mexico was “trying to get drilling rigs for their own operation. They’re moving”, he said.

However, he added: “We have a multiple service agreement for gas production but – even though some of our people think differently – I think that the multiple service agreement is not enough for us to go for an actual exploration offshore.”

This month, Mexico’s conservative government led by President Felipe Calderón presented congress with an initiative that it believes will help turn things round. This would be by introducing greater flexibility into the country’s rigid rules governing private investment in oil.

If the bill passes through congress, private companies would be allowed to build and operate refineries, pipelines and transportation networks.

They could also receive bonuses for work carried out for Pemex, potentially increasing interest in one of the world’s most protected oil sectors.

Yet many analysts say the proposed reform does not go far enough. The potential changes do not envisage amending Mexico’s constitution, which prohibits Pemex from entering into joint-risk contracts with the private sector.

Pemex is replacing current production with new finds at a rate of only about 20 per cent. That is very low compared with new discoveries made by the world’s leading oil companies.