The Brazilian oil industry regulator (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis or ANP) has approved six energy companies to bid for four pre-salt offshore blocks the Santos and Campos basins to be auctioned on 28 September 2018 under the framework of the fifth pre-salt round (5ª Rodada de Licitações de Partilha da Produção). These companies are namely: Shell, Total, BP, Germany’s DEA, QPI from Qatar and Chinese-owned CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gás.
The latest round of this type was the 4th licensing round, which took place in June 2018 (4ª Rodada de Licitações de Partilha da Produção) and offered the Três Marias, Dois Irmãos, Uirapuru, Saturno and Itaimbezinho offshore blocks in the Campos and Santos basins, within the Pre-salt Polygon. Equinor won interests in the Uirapuru and Dois Irmãos production sharing contracts (PSCs). Uirapuru will be operated by Petrobras (30%) and Equinor (28%), ExxonMobil (28%) and Petrogal Brasil (14%) will also take part in the project. Equinor (25%), Petrobras (45%, operator) and BP (30%) will own the Dois Irmãos block.
The results of the 2nd and 3rd last licensing rounds were announced in October 2017. Six 35-year long PSCs were awarded of which three under the framework of the 2nd Production Sharing Bidding Round (Santos Basin) and three as per the 3rd Production Sharing Bidding Round (Santos and Campos Basins). The selected companies included Shell, Statoil, ExxonMobil, Petrobras and BP.