Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (May 2012)

Supplying the booming OSV MarketCourtesy of PetrobrasBy Susan BuchananAfter huge oil finds in recent years, Brazil's need for off- shore vessels continues to expand and could double between now and the end of the decade. Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras wants to extract billions of barrels of oil while also developing its shipbuilding and service industries to create jobs. Meanwhile, Brazil is trying to use locally made vessels and equipment, but foreign compa- nies are benefiting from the nation's oil bonanza too. ?Recent oil discoveries off Brazil´s Atlantic coast-- reportedly the largest in the Western Hemisphere in 30 years--have established Brazil as an oil producer of global significance,? said Leo Freitas, business development manager at V.Ships Offshore in Rio de Janeiro. ?Because of new oil fields, Petrobras' exploration, production, growth and spending plans are highly ambitious, and are supported by the government and international oil com- panies and operators.? Petrobras, based in Rio de Janeiro, is 55-percent government owned. GROWTH : OFFSHOREOIL? ANDNOW ? THEOFFSHORESUPPORTSECTOR ?All areas of Brazil's offshore sector have experienced growth, and we believe the number of offshore support vessels will continue to increase,? Freitas said. His compa- ny figures that around 290 OSVs and special vessels are operating in offshore Brazil now and predicts that number could reach 440 vessels by 2013, 450 by 2015 and 570 by 2020. ?Deep-water oil discoveries require a number of high-technology and high-capability vessels to work in the sea,? Freitas said, and added that V.Group plans to cater to those needs in Brazil. Raphael Moura, safety division head at Brazil's National Petroleum Agency or ANP, said ?we're experiencing an important boost in offshore exploration and production activities in Brazil, which will lead to relevant OSV mar- ket growth. Our output from deepwater fields is around 25 percent of global oil production, and these figures will increase significantly because of the pre-salt discoveries. 34MNMay 2012Local equipment suppliers reap dividends, but there?s room for foreign businesses ? if they know how to play. Brazil MN#5 (32-49):MN 2011 Layouts 5/7/2012 10:02 AM Page 34