INTERVIEW-Petrobras to slowly expand role in U.S.

By Bernard Woodall

LOS ANGELES, May 15 (Reuters) - Petrobras PETRA4.SA (PBR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is in talks with its partner in a Pasadena, Texas oil refinery, Astra Holding USA, to increase production or its ownership stake in the plant, but has yet to make any decisions, Petrobras America President Alberto Guimaraes said on Thursday.

The talks of a possible expansion or ownership shake-up at the 100,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery are part of a larger plan to expand Petrobras' oil refining output inside and outside of Brazil, said Guimaraes.

Petrobras is even considering creating its own brand of gasoline stations in the United States, but there is no money committed to that yet and if that does happen, "it won't be very soon," said Guimaraes in an interview before he addressed Town Hall Los Angeles at the Regency Club in Los Angeles.

Guimaraes would not comment on reports that Petrobras wants to buy out Astra, a unit of Compagnie Nationale a Portefeuille of Belgium, and double the size of the plant on the Houston Ship Channel. They are 50-50 partners in Pasadena Refining System regarding the refinery. It is the only U.S. oil refinery holding of Petrobras.

Guimaraes would not characterize the intensity of Petrobras talks with Astra or with others in the United States regarding possible refinery expansions or purchases.

He declined to be specific on where new or expanded plants are, other than to say Petrobras has long said it wants to build more plants inside Brazil and export products rather than to build refineries in the United States and elsewhere.

Crude priced at $125 a barrel will not weaken Petrobras' resolve to expand its refinery production, he said.

"How much refining will we have in five or 10 years?" Guimaraes said, repeating a question. "That depends how much crude we are going to have."