Brazilian Petrobras says that Petro’s proposal has no consensus, not even in Colombia

The president of the Brazilian oil company PetrobrasJean Paul Prates, said this Wednesday that the proposal that the countries of the Amazon suspend the exploration of hydrocarbons, presented in the Summit by the head of state of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, does not have a consensus, not even in his country.

“What is observed in the local debates is that the proposal did not acquire maturity to be presented as an item of international commitment, not even in Colombia itself, much less extended to neighboring countries.”, affirmed the president of the largest company in Brazil in a message that he published on his social networks.

Prates cited a study by a Colombian university according to which the immediate suspension of oil production would reduce Colombian exports by 40% and cause a contraction of 3.5% in the country’s GDP.

“It is clearly perceived that there is no consensus, not even in Colombia, on this measure and its immediate application.“, said.

Petro took advantage of the Summit of heads of state of the eight countries of the amazonwhich concludes this Wednesday in the Brazilian city of Belém, to reiterate his proposal that, given the need to begin the transition towards a decarbonized economy, the countries of the region suspend the granting of licenses to explore oil and gas in new areas.

The Colombian president came to describe as “progressive deniers” to the left-wing rulers of the region who insist on projects to explore and exploit fossil fuels.

The Belém Declaration does not include any article that proposes the immediate or a future or eventual suspension of oil and gas exploration in the Amazon, which generated harsh criticism from non-governmental and social organizations.

Petrobrascontrolled by the State, awaits the environmental license to begin the disputed exploration of a possible huge reserve in deep waters of the Atlantic just in front of the mouth of the Amazon River.

Prates clarified that the proposal Petro it does not seek to immediately suspend the production of hydrocarbons, but the processes for granting licenses to explore new areas.

He affirmed that the proposal, for the same reason, does not affect the 381 exploration and production contracts in force in Colombia, of which 49 were awarded by the Colombian state company ecopetrol.

He added that such contracts guarantee the self-sufficiency of natural gas for Colombia for the next 15 years, but that if the country does not replenish its reserves and maintain its production “it will lose self-sufficiency in 2028 and will become an importer”.

“There is no progressive denial in seeking a just energy transition with something more than statements and interviews. The replacement of oil resources by renewable sources has not been achieved anywhere and will not be achieved only by the discourse of well-intentioned people“, he claimed.

Source: EFE