MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM

FUEL DISTRIBUTION

The distribution sector in Brazil includes more than 160 agents, who are present in all Brazilian states.
The Fuel Distributor is responsible for seeking the oil derivative (diesel oil, gasoline, aviation kerosene) and biofuel (ethanol and biodiesel) wherever they are made available by producers, using various modals (truck, train, ferry or ship); formulates the final products; certifies its quality; stores in the quantity needed to ensure supply and optimizes logistics processes in order to reduce costs, ensuring that there is no shortage of product for the consumer.
Distributors supply almost 40,000 dealer stations daily throughout the country, as well as large industries, airlines, public agencies (hospitals, fire stations, police stations), always following the development of new technologies, market best practices and guidelines established by the government for fuel marketing in the country.
The debate on the opportunities and challenges faced by the agents working in the distribution and resale sector for the uninterrupted operationalization of the national supply, especially considering the regulatory aspects under discussion, as well as the trends in mobility, deserve special attention.

• Opportunities and challenges for the fuel distribution sector in Brazil
• Technology to ensure the quality of fuel for the consumer
• Technology to trace the origin of fuel marketed to the consumer
• Loyalty to the flag: The role of the regulatory body in consumer protection
• Self service of station: challenges and opportunities
• Non-exclusive pump station: consumer benefits from the perspective of the consumer protection code and international experience
• Competition and Competitiveness in the distribution and resale sector. Opportunities, challenges and international experience
• Open Access in airports and stimulus to investment
• Fuel Quality Monitoring Program: challenges and opportunities
• Safety Aspects in Automotive and Aviation Fuel Distribution
• Verticalization: Permission for distributor to operate dealer station
• Direct sale of ethanol producer to the station: Tax and competitive aspects. What is the benefit to the consumer?
• The economic logic and role of TRR and distributor in the national fuel supply
• Hybrid and electric cars: the role of dealer stations

LPG

The LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) sector in Brazil comprises 21 distribution companies, more than 70,000 resellers and 100,000 points of sale.
LPG is used in 95% of Brazilian households, especially for food cooking. The product is present in all municipalities and has more capillarity in Brazil than electricity and piped water.
It is also one of the cleanest fossil fuels in our energy matrix.
Thus, promoting an in-depth analysis of LPG supply prospects in the country with the repositioning of Petrobras is extremely relevant.
This debate should also include an analysis of the use of new production technologies and the importance of product quality and process safety for end-consumer service.

• Opportunities and challenges in the LPG segment
• The role of the brand in the LPG canister
• LPG: new applications and consumer trends
• New production routes: BioGLP
• Partial filling of canisters: risks x benefits for society
• Safety aspects in LPG distribution
• LPG and care for the low-income population: Challenges and Opportunities
• The entry of new refiners, LPG logistics and regional supply

LUBRICANTS

The lubricants segment consists of approximately 10,000 registered products, more than 200 importers and almost 200 producers of basic and finished oils.
Also operating in the sector are collectors and re-refiners that carry out the activities of collection, reprocessing and transformation of waste from used or contained lubricating oils (OLUC) into basic lubricating oils.
The prospects for supplying basic oil in the country, given the repositioning of Petrobras and the advanced technologies of products available in the foreign market, is a priority issue of the lubricants market.
In addition, the relevant challenges are the self-regulation of the market and the review of regulatory aspects that attest to the quality of products sold in the country, in addition to meeting the environmental and safety standards established for the lubricants and additives sectors.
The debate on these aspects is timely and relevant.

• Opportunities and challenges in the lubricants segment
• Self-regulation of the lubricant market
• Basic Lubricating Oils: opportunities and challenges in production, import and logistics
• Lubricant Quality Monitoring Programs: Challenges and Opportunities
• Reverse logistics of lubricating oils
• Additive Technologies
• New lubricants for new Proconve requirements (phase 8)

PRODUCTION AND IMPORT OF DERIVATIVES

Considering the current context of reorganization of the downstream sector, an in-depth analysis of the opportunities and challenges of oil products production and import is relevant, based on the analysis of supply and demand scenarios in Brazil and worldwide, and the debate on possible new business models to be adopted in the country
It is also worth adding to this discussion the understanding of the impact of the use of new production technologies, the digitization of industry, new environmental standards, safety and product quality, among other aspects, which can influence the entry of new agents into the market.

• Uncertainties in LPG supply and demand
• Opportunities and challenges in the refining and petrochemical sector
• New standard of competition in the derivatives market
• New business models and innovations in the production of derivatives
• The concept of mini-refineries
• Competition and Competitiveness in refining and importing. National and international experience: Opportunities and Challenges
• Refining and Petrochemical integration in the country: production optimization
• Process automation in Refining and the era of digitization
• Gaps in production infrastructure x investment opportunities. Studies of supply vs. demand scenarios
• New technologies to improve energy efficiency and control emissions
• Biomass co-processing in refineries
• Economic viability of biorefinery
• Quality aspects in the production of derivatives: improvement in specification and technological trends
• Quality control on import of derivatives
• SMS aspects in Refining
• Role of fuels in government vehicle energy efficiency programs (light and heavy) and in the new phase of the air pollution control program

TERMINALS

In order to foster competition between current and future agents of the Brazilian downstream sector, always with a view to prioritizing the interests of the final consumer, we cannot leave out the debate on rules of access to terminals that can confer transparency and legal certainty to the investor, as well as an analysis of the security conditions appropriate to the activity.

• Opportunities and challenges for terminal operators
• Rule of access to fuel terminals x incentive to investment in infrastructure
• Safety best practices in fuel terminals
• Construction, expansion and operation of oil storage facilities, their derivatives and biofuels
• SHIP TO SHIP OPERATION – types, tankers and application

BIOFUELS

Brazil has a natural vocation for biofuels and the RenovaBio Program was established with the proposal to mitigate the challenges posed by climate change.
However, there is room for the evaluation of an integrated planning that values all the country’s energy resources, including the analysis of new renewable fuel technologies, as well as the quality of products marketed in the country, including considering the guidelines established by Proconve for the reduction of pollutant emissions.

• Opportunities and challenges for the biofuels sector
• Biofuels supply and demand scenarios
• Quality aspects in biodiesel production and quality monitoring: specification improvements, quality assurance throughout the chain and technological trends
• The free market in the supply of biofuels: Opportunities and Challenges
• New technological routes of advanced biofuels
• The Biofuels Expansion Policy – RenovabIo: Experiences and Improvements
• Production and import infrastructure x investment opportunities. Studies of supply vs. demand scenarios
• Biofuels as a path to a low-carbon economy
• Current and advanced biofuels and the next phases of PROCONVE  

INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS

The availability of infrastructure is one of the crucial points for the construction of a more open and competitive market and the discussion on this subject is especially timely at this time of market reorganization and involves the identification of existing logistical bottlenecks, the investments necessary to meet the future demand of the otto cycle and diesel cycle and also the stimulus to competition via import and cabotage.

• Resilience in fuel supply logistics chains: tools for monitoring and logistics strategies
• Strategic stocks for derivatives: Brazil vs. World
• Gaps in logistics infrastructure x investment opportunities. Scenario studies
• Challenges for the expansion of the pipeline network in Brazil. Regulatory, operational and legal aspects (difficulties and economic viability).
• Challenges for the expansion of the railway network in Brazil. Regulatory and operational aspects (difficulties and economic viability).
• Road transport of fuels and lubricants: challenges and opportunities (light and heavy vehicles)
• Challenges for airport infrastructure expansion
• Public policies of concessions and authorizations of ports and railways: advances X needs for improvement.
• Cabotage expansion: Challenges and opportunities
• Infrastructure project financing mechanisms
• Optimization of logistics chains and modal integration
• Multimodal logistics: Tax benefits

PRICE STRUCTURE

Derivatives are commodities traded internationally and, thus, the discussion about a price structure that provides predictability and transparency is fundamental to attracting new agents to the downstream sector.
This debate should include not only an analysis of the effectiveness of damping mechanisms, as well as the importance of price adoption in line with international parity, among other aspects.

• The commodity market and international price parity
• Price adjustments and transfers along the chain
• Price damping mechanisms: International cases x Brazil
• Derivatives and Biofuels: Lubricants: Market for basic oils in Brazil and worldwide

PRICE STRUCTURE / PRICE MECHANISM / MECHANISM FOR PRICE FORMATION

• Economic theory for price formation in competitive environment

IRREGULAR MARKET

Evasion, product tampering, cargo theft and pipeline theft, cause enormous damage to the bank, the environment, the final consumer and the competition.
In this context, promoting the debate on proposals to simplify the current complex tax structure and on laws that can curb irregular practices and promote a fair competitive environment that is attractive to the necessary investments is relevant and must have the participation of society as a whole.

• Taxation in the fuel and biofuels market: new proposals for simplification and tax neutrality
• Tax and operational fraud: What are the losses to society and how to restrain?
• Fuel adulteration: tax aspects and the role of the tax authorities
• Clandestine pipeline shunts: technologies to mitigate irregularities
• Tax evasion: the role of CADE and ANP
• The impact of taxation on unfair competition in the fuel sector
• Penalty Law (Law No. 9,847/98): Impacts and challenges