Petrobras is beefing up its offshore game, throwing four more support vessels into the mix by 2026—bringing the grand total to 48. Brazil’s state-run oil company is gearing up to boost production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) at the Buzios field by 2030, cementing Brazil’s status as an offshore oil heavyweight.

Petrobras has faced challenging times in recent months. In Q4 2024, Petrobras’ production took a 10.5% hit, sliding to 2.63 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), thanks to maintenance shutdowns. Exports tanked 22% year-over-year. The trade winds are shifting too—China’s share of Petrobras’ exports shrank to 30%, down from 44%, while Europe’s slice of the pie grew from 28% to 38%. The message? The global oil chessboard is always in motion.

Petrobras is now preparing its next move. The company trimmed its 2025 capital expenditure to $17 billion from $21 billion, but over the next five years, it’s still throwing $111 billion into the mix, including $77 billion, which is earmarked for oil and gas exploration and production activities. That’s a whole lot of cash aimed at keeping its foothold in Brazil’s oil game.

And Petrobras isn’t the only one making power plays. Private oil firms in Brazil are set to boost production by 75% by 2030, according to Wood Mackenzie. Heavy hitters like Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Repsol Sinopec Brasil are piling into Brazil’s pre-salt fields, chasing that sweet, low-sulfur crude.

A pre-salt field is a geological formation where oil was deposited before the salt layer formed, creating a reservoir protected from escaping to the surface.

Meanwhile, oil prices are doing their usual dance—Brent is hovering around $73.32 per barrel, while WTI is at $69.91. With Petrobras fortifying its fleet, cranking up Buzios, and facing stiffer competition, Brazil’s offshore showdown is just getting started. Buckle up.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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