Petrobrás :notícias sobre uma crise nada particular. A Petrobras e o pré-sal brasileiro no contexto de crise mundial da indústria de petróleo e de financeirização da economia

Abstract

This paper aims to establish a referential framework for a critical assessment of the nature and extent of the recent crisis that hit Petrobras, based on an analysis that covers the company's trajectory and its operational and financial performance indicators and considers its insertion in the context of the world crisis of the oil industry, which became more evident from the fall in prices started in July 2014. The growing debt process’ impact on oil companies and in particular on Petrobras, raised the need to discuss the influence exerted by financial capital in this process. Considering Petrobras’ worldwide recognition due to the technological dominance of exploration and production activities in deep and ultra-deep waters, its role in the relevant pre-salt discoveries and its importance for the country's oil industry, the losses caused by the “divestment and partnership policy” are analyzed. Through the sale of assets, this policy reduces the size and scope of the company's activities and promotes its partial or total withdrawal of strategic segments of the industry's productive chain, which threatens its condition of integrated oil company and leads to its consequent weakening in the global scenario of industry and against the financial capital’s impositions.