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
6 November 2025
The Russian firm made a significant attempt to expand overseas over the past two decades but is now divesting its global operations
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined
5 November 2025
Construction of the pipeline in Afghanistan is making tangible progress, but extending it into Pakistan and India remains unrealistic for political reasons
4 November 2025
Crucial structural reforms and change in operating philosophy are needed to arrest PEMEX’s ongoing decline and restore oil production growth







