Alexandre Rocha, special envoy*
Algiers – In the near future, Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras and its Algerian counterpart, Sonatrach, may operate in partnership. In January there will be a meeting between both companies, in Rio de Janeiro, to define projects of common interest. The idea is to stimulate cooperation in exploration and production of oil and gas in Brazil, Algeria, or other countries in which the companies may be interested.
This was one of the results of the meetings yesterday (21), in Algiers, between the Brazilian minister of Mines and Energy, Silas Rondeau, and his Algerian colleague, Chakib Khelil, and with the president of Sonatrach, Mohamed Meziani.
In 2003, when Dilma Roussef, then minister of Mines and Energy, currently Chief of Staff, visited Algeria, a cooperation agreement was signed between both state-owned companies. Up to now, however, the treatment has not yet brought practical results, although Petrobras has practiced in tenders in Algeria between 2004 and 2005. Rondeau is participating in the Brazilian trade mission that is in Algiers.
Another large Brazilian company that has its eye on Algeria is construction company Andrade Gutierrez. According to the director of Zagope, the company branch in Portugal, Clóvis Martines, they are participating in tenders for the construction of two dams in the Arab country, one for the value of US$ 170 million and the other for US$ 40 million. "We expect good results this year," he declared.
The construction company already operates in other countries in Africa and the Middle East, like the Cameroon, Mauritania, Angola and the United Arab Emirates. They are also negotiating a contract for the construction of an airport in Equatorial Guinea, intend to prospect the market in Libya and Greece and are building a tunnel for the TGV train in Spain. Currently, between 35% and 40% of company revenues, of around US$ 1 billion, are obtained in business on the foreign market.
Transport and habitation
Another company that received a proposal for partnership was Marcopolo, which produces buses. SNVI, the Algerian state-owned company that produces transport vehicles, is interested in importing disassembled vehicles for assembly in the country. "They estimate that there will be demand for between 4,000 and 5,000 buses in coming years," stated Mario Frizzo, of the company export department in Portugal.
Marcopolo has assembly lines in South Africa, Argentina, Colombia and Portugal. In the Arab world, the company exports to countries like Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Eyeing habitation, Kofar, which produces pre-fabricated houses with galvanized steel structures, took to Algeria mock-ups and pamphlets in French and Arabic, produced especially for the mission. The popular houses developed by the company have areas of between 30 and 70 square metres.
In all, representatives of around 50 companies and sector organizations are participating in the mission led by the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan. Yesterday most of them participated in business roundtables with Algerian businessmen.
*Translated by Mark Ament
