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"Considering movements towards a strategic partnership, we have
nothing concrete with Exxon, but they have certainly expressed
strong interest in the Brazilian pre-salt exploration," Parente
told reporters.
Earlier on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Exxon
was in talks to gain access to Brazil's deep-water oil
resources, citing people familiar with the matter.
Petroleo Brasileiro Sa Petrobras, familiarly known as Petrobras,
and Exxon initially declined to comment on the report, but later
Parente briefly spoke about it on his way out of a seminar in
Sao Paulo.
Exxon is one of the few major oil companies still with no
presence in the exploration of the recently discovered large
fields off the coast of Brazil.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc <RDSa.L> sharply increased its operations
in the area after acquiring BG Group last year. French oil major
Total SA <TOTF.PA> did the same recently by closing a strategic
partnership with Petrobras.
Norway's Statoil ASA <STL.OL> has also bought stakes in the oil
region.
Petrobras is looking for partners for some of its projects.
Earlier on Tuesday Parente said pre-salt yields have been above
the company's expectations, boosting Petrobras cash generation
and helping the company to cut its debt load, still one of the
highest in the global oil industry at slightly below $100
billion.
(Reporting by Laís Martins; Writing by Marcelo Teixeira)
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