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Petrobras to launch LNG terminal tender

Bnamericas
Petrobras to launch LNG terminal tender

Petrobras has launched a tender notice for the leasing of its Bahia LNG terminal (TR-BA), in northeast Brazil, the company said Monday. 

Golar Power was the only bidder in the first process, but its offer was disqualified. BP Energy requested more time to present an offer, while Compass Gás e Energia declined to bid. 

Among other potential candidates for leasing the terminal are Norway’s Hoegh LNG and BW LNG, a source, requesting anonymity, told BNamericas. 

Golar Power has the Porto de Sergipe thermoelectric facility in Sergipe state, in equal partnership with Celse. The plant is supplied by ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum's Ocean LNG joint venture. 

The company also operates the Golar Winter FSRU that is anchored at the Bahia terminal under a bareboat charter to Petrobras and has at least two LNG regasification terminal projects in the development phase in the states of Santa Catarina (São Francisco do Sul) and Pará (Barcarena).  

Earlier this month, New Fortress Energy (NFE) entered into definitive agreements to acquire Hygo Energy Transition (Golar Power) and Golar LNG Partners (GMLP), turning into Brazil’s biggest gas-to-power company. The operation is being analyzed by antitrust authority Cade

BP Energy is part of the Gás Natural Açu (GNA) JV with Prumo Logística and Siemens. The JV is building a thermoelectric power plant in Açu port, in Rio de Janeiro state, which will be primarily fired by imported LNG from the British oil company. 

BP will also supply gas to the Nossa Senhora de Fátima thermoelectric plant in Macaé in Rio de Janeiro state, in which it holds a 25% share, with the rest held by Brazilian company Eneva

Compass Gás e Energia belongs to the Cosan group and is focused on gas distribution via Comgás (also a Cosan company), infrastructure, thermoelectric generation and electric power trading. 

Cosan has submitted to environmental regulator Ibama permit requests for two offshore gas pipelines: the 270km Rota 4 is planned to connect the BM-S-8 block, in Santos basin, to a new natural gas treatment unit in Cubatão, São Paulo, while the 231km Rota 4b pipeline would link the same block to Itaguaí port, in Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilian group is also planning to build an LNG regasification terminal in Lagoa Canéu, which will connect to Comgás’ gas distribution grid in Cubatão, São Paulo state.

FERTILIZER PLANTS

The leasing of TR-BA is in line with a 2019 Petrobras-Cade agreement on exiting mid- and downstream gas activities. The tender also fits the federal government’s opening of the domestic natural gas market. 

A recent result of the opening relates to a deal inked at the end of January by Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG) and Proquigel Química, of the Unigel group, for supplying gas to two fertilizer plants in Bahia and Sergipe states. 

Petrobras leased the projects for 10 years last year. Valid from January 29, the interruptible supply contract foresees the delivery of 2.3Mm3/d of gas from Camamu basin's Manati field for one year. 

In July, Petrobras concluded the sale of its remaining 10% stake in TAG, which operates 4,500km of pipelines in the north and northeast, to Engie/CDPQ. The same consortium had purchased the other 90% share in 2019 for US$8.6bn. 

“We are actively working to enable the access of new clients to TAG’s network, which is essential for the sector’s growth and for attracting more investments throughout the chain,” TAG’s director-president, Gustavo Labanca, said in a statement. 

Unigel will meet local agricultural, livestock and industrial urea and ammonium sulfate demands, which still rely on imports, the group’s CEO, Roberto Noronha Santos said.  

With the resumption of the plants’ operations, Unigel will also become more competitive in the acrylic segment which also uses ammonia as raw material. 

“Unigel will generate jobs in Bahia and Sergipe states and strengthen even more the competitiveness of Brazilian agribusiness,” Santos added.

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