Petrobras raises asset sale goal to $21B for 2017-18

• Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) raises its goal for asset divestitures and partnerships for 2017 and 2018 to $21B from $19.5B, a sign the company plans to expand ventures with peers in segments from refining to oil exploration.
• CFO Ivan Monteiro said in a follow-up to Q4 results announced yesterday that a recent ruling by Brazil's auditing court TCU regarding the plan will speed up its execution, not slow it down.
• PBR downstream director Jorge Celestino said the company remains very interested in finding partners for its refining business.