Petrobras is part of the group of 20 companies responsible for more than 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions since 1965.

Petrobras was listed among the twenty companies producing oil, natural gas and coal that most contribute to global pollution according to the study, discussed by the British newspaper The Guardian this Wednesday, October 9th. Earlier this month, the state-owned company began to reduce the sulfur in marine fuel to 0,5%, to the detriment of the environment..

The study assessed what global companies have extracted from the ground, and the subsequent emissions these fossil fuels are responsible for, going back to 1965, the year experts say the environmental impact of fossil fuels first became known to industry leaders and politicians alike.

The 20 companies producing oil, natural gas and coal are responsible for (35%) 480,16 billion tons of the emission of the two pollutants, out of a total of 1,35 trillion tons.

The list comprises 12 state-owned and eight private companies. In the lead is the Saudi state-owned Saudi Aramco, responsible for the emission of 59,26 billion tons of carbon dioxide and equivalents, 4,38% of the world total in the analyzed period.

Then come the American Chevron, with 3,20% of the total, and the Russian Gazprom, with 3,19%. Petrobras accounts for 8,68 billion tons of carbon equivalent, which represents 0,64% of the total.

Petrobras' defense

Petrobras said, through a press release, that it was looking for ways to apply “technologies that have the direct consequence of reducing carbon intensity in its operations, with significant results already achieved”.

According to a statement from the company, “since 2008, 9,8 million tons of CO2 have been reinjected from the pre-salt fields in the Santos Basin”, and by 2025, “the company plans to reinject around 40 million tons of CO2”.

“Between 2009 and 2018, the emission of more than 120 million tons of CO2, which is equivalent to two years of total Petrobras emissions”, says the statement.

The so-called reinjection process involves separating the CO2 from the oil and gas extracted from the well and injecting it back into the oil or gas pocket, also increasing the internal pressure, which ultimately leads to greater production.

Government intends to carry out another 22 auctions this year and has 119 projects already announced