Brazil

Project is Chevron's First Major Upstream Development in Brazil

SAN RAMON, Calif., June 23, 2009 - Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) announced today that its subsidiary Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. has commenced crude oil production from the Frade Field, the company's first operated deepwater development in Brazil.

The estimated $3 billion project, with continuing development drilling, is expected to achieve peak production of 90,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day in 2011.
Frade

This schematic drawing depicts the Frade subsea system. Oil from the field is produced through a floating production storate and offloading vessel (FPSO). The crude is stored in the FPSO and offloaded to crude oil tankers.    » read more »

Will Supply 250 Subsea Wellhead Systems for Brazil Offshore Drilling Projects; Industry-Wide, Three-Year Frame Agreement Largest Ever Wellhead Contract Awarded to Date

RIO DE JANIERO -- June 8, 2009-- GE Oil & Gas announced today that its drilling & production business has been awarded a three-year frame agreement valued at more than $250 million to supply 250 VetcoGray subsea wellhead systems to Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) of Brazil, an integrated oil and gas company. In terms of number of wellheads, this is the largest contract awarded to date in the industry.

The advanced wellheads will be manufactured in the GE Oil & Gas Jandira plant in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the first unit due for delivery in July 2009.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2009 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said that he will attend the Group of Eight (G8) Agricultural Ministerial in Treviso, Italy, April 18-20.

"Hunger and malnutrition afflict more than one billion people around the world, causing human suffering, political instability and economic stagnation," said Vilsack. "This ministerial affirms our strong commitment to global food security and provides a unique opportunity to work with other agriculture ministers in developing a shared strategy to deal with food security issues."    » read more »

30 May 2008 -- Brazilian officials say they have located and photographed one of the country's last uncontacted tribes in the remote western Amazon jungle near the border with Peru.

Of the more than 100 uncontacted tribes in the world, more than half live in the Brazil-Peru area.

Jose Carlos Meirelles from the Brazilian National Indian Foundation said the tribe is threatened by illegal logging which is encroaching on their territory and could force them off their land.

He says they have been monitoring four distinct groups in the area for the past 20 years

Advocates for indian tribes are calling on countries to enforce international law in an effort to protect the people's habitat.

Source: VOA News

05/29/2008 -- The proposed acquisition of National Beef Packing Company and Smithfield Beef Group by Brazilian meat company JBS could have implications for Oklahoma cattle producers, OKlahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said today.

Oklahoma cattle: Photo by Wade (CC)

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Edmondson said by taking over National Beef and Smithfield, JBS will become the largest beef processor in the nation and the new company could have a significant impact on the feedlot segment of the beef industry.    » read more »

Premier International Action Sports Event Will Return To Sao Paulo

May 15, 2008 -- Based on the great success of the first edition of X Games Brazil, ESPN and event partner ReUnion Sports & Marketing have agreed to host the event for a second consecutive year in 2009. More than 43,000 people gathered at the Sambodromo do Anhembi, for the first ever ESPN X Games Brazil in Sao Paulo.

ESPN produced 15 hours of original programming and a total of nine hours of live programming aired on Brazil’s two ESPN television networks, ESPN and ESPN Brazil. Complete coverage of the event was also provided on ESPN Brazil’s news and information programs, and live streaming video was featured on EXPN.com.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee urging Congress and the President to lift an import tariff on ethanol and temporarily waive the federal Renewable Fuel Standards to ease the vise-like pressures of spiraling gasoline and food prices.

“Connecticut families and businesses are getting bruised by the soaring cost of everyday necessities like gas and groceries,” Governor Rell said. “One major factor in this unhappy duet is the price of corn – demand for the crop as a source of ethanol is competing fiercely with demand for corn as food, additives in products such as soft drinks and animal feed.    » read more »

April 8, 2008 - Brazilian civil defense officials report that at least 21 people have died and 82,000 have been driven from their homes by floods and mudslides in the country's northeast.

The Brazilian government is releasing more than $300 million in emergency aid for the states affected by the flooding.

Scene of a 2005 flood in Brazil: Photo by Shelly "Nikki" Montes (CC)

Governors of the affected states met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Monday to request aid.

Officials say 17 of the dead drowned in the state of Paraiba, where 14,000 have become homeless.

Source: VOA News

Microsoft collaborates with strong local and regional partners to expand educational initiatives to reach underserved people in Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Brazil

MIAMI, April 3, 2008 — At the Government Leaders Forum—Americas in Miami today, Microsoft Corp. announced new and expanded partnerships that will play a strong role in transforming education and creating economic opportunity in Latin America.    » read more »

SAO PAOLO, Brazil, April 2, 2008 -- Westcon Group, Inc., the leading specialty distributor in networking, convergence, security and mobility, announced that it is extending its distribution agreement with Cisco® into the Brazilian market. Westcon Brazil will offer channel partners a full line of Cisco enterprise and SMB solutions effective immediately.    » read more »

X Games Gold Medalists and Brazilian Skateboard Icons, Sandro Dias and Bob Burnquist, to Compete

03 February 2008 -- Tens of thousands of revelers have packed the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to celebrate the second day of the world famous Carnival festival.

Local residents and tourists, clad in colorful costumes and whimsical hats, danced in the city center Saturday to the samba beats of the Black Ball band (Cordao do Bola Preta). The band has played at Brazil's Carnival since 1918.    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- PITTSBURGH--The 117 DuPont workers who held a hunger strike in Camaçari, Brazil last week gained the support of the United Steelworkers (USW), the largest industrial trade union in North America. The workers, members of the Union of Chemical and Petroleum Workers of Bahia/CNQ-CUT, held the strike to protest DuPont’s derisory profit sharing proposals.

"The USW stands prepared to offer immediate assistance,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “We already have representation in Brazil fully committed to assisting our brothers and sisters there.”    » read more »

01 December 2007 -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has announced a multimillion-dollar plan to improve roads, build sanitation systems and upgrade housing for residents in slums outside Rio de Janeiro.

Mr. Lula made the announcement Friday as he visited the Cantagalo "favela," or shantytown, outside the upscale beach district of Copacabana.

The president's plan will invest nearly $20 million of federal and state money into the local favelas, affecting thousands of families.    » read more »

Protecting Florida's Investments Act sets moral example for nation and world

November 7, 2007 -- RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today did not meet with Petrobras as previously scheduled due to their business dealings with Iran. Governor Crist asked Chief of Staff George LeMieux to meet with Petrobras executives to explain why the meeting was cancelled in light of the steps the state has taken to have the Florida Retirement System’s $139-billion pension fund divest of foreign companies with certain business operations in Iran and Sudan.    » read more »