Captação de recursos por meio de debêntures conversíveis em ações: uma opção para os investimentos no Pré-Sal

Abstract

The financing of oil, natural gas and other fluid hydrocarbons exploration and production in the Pre Sal areas has currently been a debated matter among scholars and professionals. Under the new exploration and production regime set forth in Law No. 12.351/2010, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) will act as an operator of all contracted blocks, thus, it shall be responsible for the direct or indirect management and performance of all of the activities related to the exploration, evaluation, development, production and deactivation of the exploration and production facilities. This legal arrangement by itself denotes the volume of investments that Petrobras is expected to achieve, through the use of its own resources, in the coming years. Moreover, the companies contracted to perform the exploration activities will also be in need of a large amount of resources, since they, alongside with Petrobras, will bear the costs and expenses arising out of the exploration, evaluation, development, production and deactivation of the exploration and production facilities in connection with the sharing contracts. Convertible debentures present themselves as a feasible alternative to obtain the required financial resources in the securities exchange market, as well as are also more advantageous than other capitalization mechanisms, such as traditional bank loans or capital underwriting share subscriptions, since the issuing company is responsible for deciding, e.g., the debenture maturity date and the way that its underwriters will be remunerated. The new legal regime of the debentures, established by Law No. 12.431/2011, was also created to simplify the use of this instrument in order to finance the production and the exploration of oil, natural gas and other fluid hydrocarbons in the Pre Sal areas. Despite being a government-controlled company, Petrobras will be able to issue convertible debentures, provided that it complies with the rules related to its control by the government.