This week it transpired that the continent’s richest woman has wasted little time stamping her authority on the country’s staple industry as she pulled the plug on a $1.75 billion deal to buy two 40% stakes in deep-water pre-salt blocks from Cobalt International Energy.

The US independent this week revealed that in late July chief executive Tim Cutt met with Dos Santos, with the pair “jointly” agreeing that Cobalt would remarket the stakes in blocks 20 and 21 to third parties.

Cobalt’s