SAO PAULO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Foreign oil companies that
have not joined Brazil's last two auctions of offshore
"pre-salt" fields are also unlikely to bid next year, BP Plc's
Brazil president told newspaper Valor Economico in an
interview published on Wednesday.
Adriano Bastos argued that, even if the pre-salt areas that
have not received any bids are auctioned again with better
terms, other projects elsewhere in the world will attract such
multinational oil firms, reducing their capacity to invest in
Brazil, according to the paper.
"Capital that has not yet come to Brazil will not come next
year. Other projects were sanctioned ... It will restrict my
capacity to invest in Brazil," he told Valor, adding that Iran
has announced a huge oil discovery and pointing to the upcoming
initial public offering of Saudi state oil giant Aramco.
Among the reasons behind BP's decision to stay out of
Brazil's oil auction last week, Bastos cited a need for further
negotiations to compensate state-owned company Petroleo
Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, for investments
already made in pre-salt areas.
(Reporting by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
BP (BP.)
