SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government has
authorized the local unit of energy company Royal Dutch Shell
to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from several
countries into the Brazilian market, according to a notice in
the official gazette on Wednesday.
The authorization was granted by the Mines and Energy
Ministry for a total volume of up to 36.5 million cubic meters.
The permit is valid through March 31, 2024 and limited to
liquefied gas, the notice said.
Royal Dutch Shell is expected to import LNG by sea and sell
the product to operators of thermal power plants, gas
distributors and consumers in the unregulated natural gas
market.
Other companies also received authorization to import LNG,
including a unit of Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau SA.
(Reporting by Luciano Costa
Writing by Ana Mano; editing by Barbara Lewis)