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Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras started 2025 with strong operational performance, increasing oil and natural gas production by 5,4%, thanks to new pre-salt units, operational efficiency and a focus on cleaner energy.
Petrobras ended the first quarter of 2025 with a 5,4% increase in average production of oil, natural gas and liquids natural gas (LGN), reaching a total of 2,77 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (MMboed). The increase was driven by a combination of positive factors: lower incidence of scheduled maintenance shutdowns, greater operational efficiency in the Santos Basin and the activation of new floating production units, known as FPSOs.
During the period, the company put 11 new production wells into operation, six in the Campos Basin and five in the Santos Basin. These advances helped to mitigate the natural decline in production in mature fields, reinforcing the state-owned company's strategy to maintain competitiveness in oil and natural gas exploration.
FPSO Almirante Tamandaré begins operations with high production capacity
One of the main milestones of the quarter was the start of production of the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré, on February 15, in the Búzios field. The platform, located in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, has the capacity to produce 225 thousand barrels of oil per day and process up to 12 million cubic meters of natural gas daily.
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This unit is the first of six contracted with the same production capacity, with the next five being owned by Petrobras. The FPSO is expected to reach its peak production by the end of this year.
Furthermore, the system also stood out for the speed at which gas was injected into the reservoir: just 49 days after the start of operations, surpassing the previous record of 52 days, set by another unit, the FPSO Almirante Barroso.
Mero Field strengthens with new production and arrival of platform
The Mero field, also in the Santos Basin pre-salt layer, has made significant progress. On February 12, the second production well of the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias began operating, reaching a daily operated production of approximately 95 barrels of oil. Petrobras estimates that this unit will reach full capacity in the second quarter of 2025.
Another new development was the arrival of the FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão at the same field, after leaving China in December 2024. The platform was anchored in a record time of just 10 days and is expected to begin operations between the second and third quarters of 2025. The unit has a production capacity of 180 thousand barrels of oil per day and compression of 12 million m³ of natural gas.
State-owned company breaks pre-salt production records
With the entry into operation of these new units, Petrobras broke pre-salt production records during 1Q25:
- Operated production of oil and NGL: 2,77 MMboed, surpassing the previous record of 2,76 MMboed in the last quarter of 2023.
- Total production operated in the pre-salt: 3,38 MMboed, above the 3,34 MMboed recorded in 4Q24.
These figures reflect the company's consistent progress in extracting oil and natural gas in deep waters, maintaining pre-salt as a strategic pillar of its energy production.
Refining prioritizes pre-salt oil and increases the share of derivatives
In the refining sector, Petrobras also showed progress. The share of oil from pre-salt in the processed load rose to 73%, repeating the record of the third quarter of 2024 and surpassing the previous quarter by two percentage points.
In addition, domestic sales of derivatives grew 2,9% year-on-year, with diesel, gasoline and jet fuel standing out. Even with the scheduled shutdown for the modernization of Train 1 at the Abreu e Lima Refinery (RNEST), the state-owned company achieved high yields of medium fuels and gasoline, which together accounted for 69% of the total derivatives produced in the quarter.
Petrobras advances in biofuels with unprecedented operation in Asia
In line with its energy transition strategy, Petrobras made its first export of VLSFO (Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil) with 24% renewable content to the Asian market in February. The product, developed in partnership with the company Golden Island, is composed of 76% mineral fuel oil and 24% UCOME, a biofuel derived from used cooking oil.
The operation was made possible by Petrobras Singapore, which has ISCC EU certification (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification), guaranteeing the traceability and sustainability of the product exported to Singapore.
Petrobras maintains positive outlook for 2025
The results presented reinforce Petrobras' leading role in the oil and natural gas sector, with a focus on operational efficiency, expanding pre-salt production and developing sustainable solutions. The new platforms and records achieved in 1Q25 position the state-owned company competitively for the coming quarters.
For access to the full report released on April 29, 2025, the data is available on the company's official website.
