Clariant wins pre-salt deepwater contract from Petrobras

Muttenz, November 29, 2010 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced today that its Houston, USA-based Oil Services business has won a pre-salt chemical contract with Petrobras, one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies.

The agreement for pre-salt deepwater, the first one with performance products awarded through a tender to a chemical company, encompasses the chemical package and services for the Petrobras FPSO Capixaba, which operates in the Espírito Santo State coast, Brazil. Production is currently based on post-salt and pre-salt reserves, with pre-salt production having started this past July.

"It's fundamental to rely on a supplier of chemical specialties like Clariant Oil Services that continuously invests in R&D and innovation to meet the new demands from Petrobras’ Prospecting and Production area, especially in complex scenarios like that of the pre-salt," stresses Luis Marcelo Freitas, Petrobras Distribuidora’s Chemicals Executive Manager, in charge of the supply of chemicals, special fluids and fuels to Petrobras’ offshore operations throughout the country.

"In addition to its domestic output capacity and supply assurance, Clariant provides high- quality performance products tested at Petrobras Research and Development Center (Cenpes) and with the field validation by Petrobras, at very competitive costs," added Klaus Nolte, Petrobras Distribuidora Supply House Manager.

Pre-salt production has been enabled through the development and application of innovative technology. Clariant Oil Services, with its comprehensive knowledge of specialty chemicals, is well-known for its chemical and service expertise in the oil and gas industry.

Christopher Oversby, Vice President & General Manager of Clariant’s Oil & Mining Services business unit, remarked, “We are very proud to have been awarded this pre-salt deepwater award from Petrobras.” Oversby added, “Deepwater exploration offers some real technological challenges, and we are delighted about the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities on FPSO Capixaba for Petrobras.”

Clariant Oil Services is a leading provider of chemical technologies and services to the oil, refinery and mining industries. A global business with headquarters in Houston, Texas, in the USA, Clariant Oil Services is represented in all major oil and gas locations. From deepwater exploration to refining, Clariant Oil Services provides chemical products and services that reduce customer costs, decrease risks and improve production efficiency. Clariant Oil Services’ industry experience is backed by a dedicated global R&D network, providing the business a unique position from which to address and resolve customer challenges anywhere in the world, now and in the future. The Clariant Oil Services manufacturing complex based in Brazil, with multipurpose units and wide-ranging production capacity and strategic location near the main bases of offshore supply, meets all Petrobras’ local content requirements.

Petrobras, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is an integrated energy company and a world leader in deepwater exploration and production. The company is dedicated to meeting all global energy production challenges. Its commitment goes well beyond profitability, seeking also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in processes and products, to achieve eco-efficiency, and to preserve the environment.