Operation Car Wash affects oil, gas and ship industry, says Mercadante
Chief of Staff Aloizio Mercadante stated during an audience in the Mines and Energy Committee of the House of Representatives 
Chief of Staff Aloizio Mercadante announced Wednesday (Aug. 5) that the slowdown in oil and gas activities is not happening exclusively in Brazil. In fact it has affected the major companies operating in the sector worldwide. He admitted, however, that a second impact, which is a characteristic of the slowdown in Brazil, was caused by corruption allegations involving Petrobras.
Mercadante noted that large companies in the world, including Shell and Technobil, went through investment cuts of around 30% in recent months. According to him, the first problem arose with the commodities collapse in August 2014. “[They] brought prices down with no prospect of recovery because Iran came back to the oil market [with high product offering projection] and this affects every oil company in the world and affects Petrobras,” he mentioned.
About Operation Car Wash, investigating irregularities in Petrobras contracts, the minister said that fighting corruption brings benefits for the company and for society. He noted that stock market is going through the process to recover about $163.5 million of embezzled funds from Petrobras. $84,9 million has been returned, but the recovery target is $1.7 billion.
The Chief of Staff has stated it during an audience in the Mines and Energy Committee of the House of Representatives about the ship industry crisis in Brazil, which was caused by corruption allegations involving Petrobras. The minister also highlighted that the industry has already represented 13 percent of the wealth produced in the country, but currently it suffers from “the decline in Petrobras investments and construction.”
The ship industry trade union warned that the five shipyards that have contracts with Sete Brasil – the company created to manage the oil rigs construction to be used by Petrobras in the pre-salt exploration – are in a “delicate” situation. Only in January, 3,000 job positions were closed.
Mercadante explained that the Seven Brasil is an important “piece” in the design created for the production of oil rigs in the country. The company won the bid to build 28 rigs, but according to him, due to the accusations and to the industry's crisis, Sete Brasil struggled to raise credits to boost the production. In his view, the company is adopting the strategy of restructuring and they will reduce the number of oil rigs from 28 to 19.
“We have currently 69,000 workers employed in the ship industry, 9 active shipyards and 4 under construction. We do have problems, actually many problems, but we are in a much better position than when we had nothing,” he claimed.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Operation Car Wash affects oil, gas and ship industry, says Mercadante
