Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency (ANP), the industry regulator in the country, has named the first 12 companies approved to take part in October’s auction of oil and gas exploration sites, according to Reuters.
The ANP, a federal government agency linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, announced a list that included Brazilian company Petro Rio, French firm Engie, Portugal’s Galp Energia, Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell, and Angola state oil firm Sonangol.
ANP’s various roles include calling for tenders for projects in the oil and natural gas industries and closing such deals on behalf of the State. In its role as regulator it inspects and monitors the oil, natural gas and biofuel industries. It also publishes statistics and studies on the potential of the petroleum sector.
