Petrobras' incomplete recovery
Brazil's state oil company has taken major strides forward, but further progress and support from the next government are needed
A company's share price doesn't tell its whole story, but it's one way to track a firm's fortunes. Petrobras has endured a rollercoaster ride through the market—during a tumultuous decade that saw it fly high as an investor darling, collapse and more recently mount something of a comeback. At its peak in 2010, following the discovery of the massive pre-salt oilfields, Brazil's national oil company set a record with a $70bn share sale and, shortly after that, saw its market value peak at $229bn, surpassing supermajors Shell and Chevron. But Petrobras never lived up to that hype, and things got particularly ugly in early 2016 when it was hit by a perfect storm of scandal, debt and an oil-price
Also in this section
20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment






