BRASILIA, Oct 27 - Brazil's Congress on Tuesday started debating the federal government's proposal to overhaul oil regulations governing substantial new overseas reserves that can transform the country right into a significant oil merchant.
At risk is one of the nation's biggest industrial growth projects ever, needing an estimated $400 billion to establish huge brand-new subsalt oil areas.
Committees in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower home of Congress, began discussing several of the measures Head of state Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recommended in August to improve state control over the market, though a final vote may not happen for months.
The propositions consist of opening up an oil fund for profits from the deep-sea fields, creating a new state firm to administer oil contracts and capitalizing state oil company Petrobras (PBR.N)(PETR4.SA) with brand-new oil areas held by the state.
Lula additionally wants to change the existing concession system to a production-sharing model, requiring that Petrobras run and also hold a minimal 30 percent stake in all new jobs in the offshore subsalt district.
Bills are gone by easy bulk in the 18-member boards, in addition to on the floor.
Michel Temer, head of the Chamber, has actually pledged to begin voting the four costs in the plenary on Nov. 10. If approved, they would go to the Senate, where the federal government has a narrower bulk than in the Chamber.
edta-na2 would certainly have to return to the Chamber for a last ballot if changed by the Us senate.
If Congress stops working to pass the bills by late May, the government proposal risks being sidelined by football's World Cup and marketing before October 2010 general political elections.
Henrique Eduardo Alves, who is funding the expense on the brand-new contracts that will control exploration and also production, included a proposition on distribution of oil nobilities in between producer states and towns.
This is one of one of the most controversial facets of the total proposal and also can potentially stand up its approval.