Brazilian upstream reaps divestment dividend
Petrobras is starting to see significant production gains in the pre-salt, while independents are already raising output at fields divested by the NOC
The Brazilian presidential election in October will pit incumbent right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro against left-leaning challenger and former president Lula da Silva. On the oil side, whoever takes office is poised to inherit a heady mix of upstream consolidation and bullish production forecasts. NOC Petrobras is leading from the front with a strong focus on output growth from the pre-salt. Planned ramp-ups in production from the P-68 platform—at the Berbigao and Sururu offshore fields—and a new floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel at the Sepia offshore field, both in the Santos basin, should add 55,000bl/d of capacity to the company’s portfolio this year. The firm i
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026






