Royal Dutch Shell Plc ( RDSa.AS ) and Chevron Corp ( CVX.N ) on Friday led big bets by oil majors seeking to clinch key stakes in Brazil’s coveted offshore oil play, shrugging off concerns over presidential elections that have cast a pall of uncertainty over the industry. Shell and Chevron pledged to the government a high 70.2 percent of the oil it will produce after costs to clinch the choice Saturno block, while Exxon Mobil Corp ( XOM.N ) and Qatar Petroleum International landed the Tita area with a 24.5 percent offer, with both groups locking in key real estate in the prized Santos basin. By placing all four blocks, Brazil’s cash-strapped government raked in 6.82 billion reais ($1.71 billion), days ahead of the most […]