OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2012. Vale informs that it has signed with Petroleo Brasileiro S.A (Petrobras) an agreement to sell Araucaria, operation for production of nitrogens, located in Araucaria, in the Brazilian state of Parana, for USD 234 million. The purchase price will be paid by Petrobras through installments accrued quarterly, adjusted by 100% of the Brazilian interbank interest rate (CDI), in amounts equivalent to the royalties due by Vale related to the leasing of potash assets and mining rights of Taquari-Vassouras and of the Carnalita project.

The sale is subject to the fulfillment of precedent conditions, including the approval by the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica (CADE), the Brazilian anti-trust authority.

Araucaria has annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 million tons of ammonia and urea.

The divestment of assets such as Araucaria, which does not have synergies with the rest of our portfolio, is consistent with our efforts to improve capital allocation and resources to generate additional funding for investments in priority projects with high potential for value creation. The sale of Araucaria also contributes to an annual reduction of investments in sustaining operations of approximately USD 50 million.