Brazil’s state-run Petrobras this month will launch a bid round on 28 oil rigs to be built in Brazil and used for massive offshore subsalt fields, the company said.

Brazil plans to rely mostly on locally manufactured equipment to pump
crude from deep-sea subsalt fields, part of President Luiz Inacio Lula
da Silva’s bid to create jobs and bolster domestic industry as Brazil
taps new energy wealth.

Petrobras wants up to 28 rigs designed for deep-water exploration to be
ready between 2013 and 2018 and will begin by contracting an initial
group of nine rigs. It originally announced the tender more than a year
ago.

The shipyard that wins the first group of rigs will be able to use the funds to expand shipbuilding capacity, the company said.

Brazil’s subsalt push will require a large fleet of deep-water rigs
capable of drilling through a thick salt layer beneath the ocean floor
that is in some cases 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) deep.

Critics say Petrobras’ local content strategy will force it to pay
higher prices for goods and services, particularly if political
pressures lead it to prioritize job creation over ensuring it acquires
equipment at the lowest possible cost.

It may also risk delaying new oil exploration if local shipyards cannot deliver products on time or up to standards.

Source: Reuters

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