Q2 profits soared for Petrobras as commodity prices held strong
Petrobras’ recipe for upstream success
Fading market volatility and rising global energy demand should boost the operator’s focus on pre-salt crude growth
Brazilian state oil company Petrobras is emerging from the pandemic better positioned than many NOCs. Production and exports are climbing, margins are rebounding and divestments are helping pay down billions in debt. Even the company’s share price is ticking up, with Q2 profits just shy of $8bn. Ambitious production plans are at the centre of investor confidence. Pre-salt crude production jumped up 3pc quarter on quarter as platforms at the Atapu, Berbigao and Sururu fields ramped up to capacity. Output from the region now comprises about 70pc of Petrobras’ upstream portfolio, boasting some of the lowest lifting costs globally and most attractive crude grades. “The pace of the divestme
Also in this section
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
20 March 2026
The US may be systemically stripping Russia of key geopolitical allies, but Moscow can reap rewards from the Hormuz crisis, both in the short and long term
