18-09-08 The United States is interested in cooperating with Brazil to finance projects for exploiting the country's pre-salt layer oil fields, US ambassador to Brazil Clifford Sobel said. The top US diplomat in Brazil told that his country, as well as other nations, is very interested in the new oil discoveries in Brazil.
"Our interest is not only limited to the pre-salt discoveries, but also extended to other land and offshore opportunities. The Brazilian oil industry brings us quite a few opportunities," he said when he attended the Rio Oil and Gas Conference.

Sobel said that, with the pre-salt reserves, Brazil may become one of the main oil suppliers to the US in the future.
"In the next decade, the Brazil-US partnership may grow significantly in the energy and oil industries," he said. The US ambassador said that oil companies were watching whether the government would make new rules about exploitation of the new pre-salt layer oil fields.

According to Sobel, the companies expected the rules to remain unchanged, but it was up to the Brazilian government to make a final decision on the matter.
Sobel added that the financial crisis in his country would not affect US investments in the Brazilian pre-salt oil fields.