Brazil's ANP Extends Public Consultation on Natural Gas Pipeline Access Rules to September 14

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 28, Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) extended the public consultation period for No. 13/2026 by 15 days, with the new deadline for submitting comments set for September 14. The consultation concerns regulatory rules for third-party access to natural gas production outflow pipelines and natural gas processing and treatment facilities. The original consultation period ran from July 16 to August 31. The related public hearing has been rescheduled from the originally planned September 16 to October 1, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with the registration deadline for participation set for September 16.

This round of consultation addresses a draft resolution aimed at regulating third-party access to natural gas production outflow and processing infrastructure on a non-discriminatory, negotiated basis. The draft covers access conditions and application procedures, reasonable remuneration for the parties involved, public disclosure of infrastructure data, adjustments to existing contracts and agreements, as well as the capital base for outflow and processing operations.

The draft also establishes accounting separation and information reporting requirements, involving additional information to be provided by vertically integrated operators. The ANP approved the 45-day public consultation and public hearing on July 10, with the work included as item 2.10 on the 2025–2026 regulatory agenda.

This regulatory process was initiated in 2022, with earlier phases including technical studies, prior consultation, and industry workshops, culminating in a regulatory impact analysis. Following the adjustments to natural gas infrastructure access provisions introduced by Brazil's Law No. 12,153 of 2024, the ANP revised the proposed rules.