Brazil and Guyana laid the groundwork for expanding energy cooperation this Friday (6) during President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to Georgetown, where agreements were signed in areas such as infrastructure and justice.

“In oil and gas, we have a Brazilian giant called Petrobras, and it’s increasingly becoming a reality to cooperate with Guyana. We hope so,” Bolsonaro said after meeting with his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali. said.

Guyana has emerged as one of the main low-cost oil producing countries, and is set to bid for oil blocks off its coast by the end of the year, when the American company ExxonMobil should play the lead.

In April, ExxonMobil announced the discovery of three new wells that have increased estimated reserves to 11 billion barrels of oil since the exploration began in 2015.

“Guiana has a great future ahead of it, especially because of its oil and gas potential,” Bolsonaro said.

The discovery of new oil wells has intensified the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, which claims to be conducting exploration activities in disputed waters between the two countries.

Ali, on the other hand, underlined the project to create an energy corridor between the two countries together with Suriname.

“We discussed working together on a natural gas strategy and how it can be incorporated into Brazil’s development and how we can coordinate and cooperate in this area,” the Guyanese president said.

Both determined that Brazil will assist with equipment and computer programs to assist in gathering information for national security and defense, as well as the construction of a deep water port, road and rail links, hydroelectric power, fiber optic development projects. and also agricultural projects.

In addition, the two heads of state signed agreements on legal cooperation in civil and criminal matters, the details of which were not disclosed.

Bolsonaro’s trip to Guyana was canceled at the last minute in January after the Brazilian president had to cancel his regional tour due to the death of his mother at his first stop in Paramaribo.