Petrobras Resumes Abreu e Lima Refinery and Boaventura Complex Projects After Years Paralyzed by Operation Car Wash

Written by Débora Araújo

Published on 02/05/2025 at 19:10

Edifício sede da Petrobras no Centro do Rio. (Foto: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil)

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Initiatives Were Interrupted Due to Investigated Suspicions by Operation Lava Jato; New Investments Total Nearly R$ 19 Billion.

Petrobras has taken new steps in the resumption of two of the largest refining projects in the country: the Abreu e Lima Refinery in Pernambuco, and the former Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro, now renamed Boaventura Energy Complex. Both projects had been halted in recent years due to investigations by Operation Lava Jato, which uncovered a corruption scheme involving contractors and former executives of the state company.

With the new advancements, Petrobras aims to reactivate strategic works that consumed billions in investments but were stalled due to legal, structural, and reputational impasses.

Abreu e Lima Refinery Will Have Doubled Refining Capacity

Located in Ipojuca, on the coast of Pernambuco, the Abreu e Lima Refinery was one of the main targets of Operation Lava Jato investigations, especially after the testimony of former Petrobras director Paulo Roberto Costa. The project, initiated in 2005, suffered successive delays, cost revisions, and corruption allegations.

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Boaventura Energy Complex Will Receive R$ 14 Billion

The former Comperj (Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro), the project located in Itaboraí, metropolitan region of Rio, has been renamed the Boaventura Energy Complex. The name change marks a new phase of the project, which was also at the center of the allegations investigated by Operation Lava Jato.

Petrobras reported that it received proposals for six construction lots at the site, totaling around R$ 14 billion in investments. The results of the bidding still depend on negotiations with the consortia that submitted the best offers.

The state company anticipates the generation of approximately 10,000 direct jobs during the construction phase. The new complex will focus on the integration of energy sources, maintaining part of the petrochemical structure and making room for the development of new segments, including the production of fuels with lower environmental impact.

Investigated Companies Return to Compete for Public Contracts

Companies such as Odebrecht, Andrade Gutierrez, and Queiroz Galvão, which had been barred from contracting with the public administration after the developments of Operation Lava Jato, have returned to participate in the bidding for Petrobras projects. The reintegration of these contractors was only possible after signing leniency agreements with the federal government, allowing their rehabilitation in the market.

As a result, Petrobras has started to include major construction companies in the contracting process for large-scale works once again, with stricter compliance and control rules.

Petrobras Strengthens Focus on Refining Projects

During a recent event with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Petrobras reaffirmed the importance of completing the two projects as part of its strategy to strengthen refining infrastructure in the country. The works were approved earlier in 2023, during Jean Paul Prates’ management, and gained new momentum starting in May 2024, with the opening of the bidding.

According to the company, the resumption of the Abreu e Lima Refinery and the Boaventura Energy Complex aligns with the policy of expanding refining capacity and reducing dependence on imported derivatives. The expectation is that the projects will also contribute to the economic recovery of the regions where they are located, generating jobs and boosting local production chains.

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Source: Revista Oeste

Petrobras Resumes Abreu e Lima Refinery and Boaventura Complex Projects After Years Paralyzed by Operation Car Wash

Initiatives Were Interrupted Due to Investigated Suspicions by Operation Lava Jato; New Investments Total Nearly R$ 19 Billion.

Abreu e Lima Refinery Will Have Doubled Refining Capacity

Boaventura Energy Complex Will Receive R$ 14 Billion

Investigated Companies Return to Compete for Public Contracts

Petrobras Strengthens Focus on Refining Projects

Want to Work at the REVAP Petrobras Refinery? Check Below

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Petrobras Resumes Abreu e Lima Refinery and Boaventura Complex Projects After Years Paralyzed by Operation Car Wash

Initiatives Were Interrupted Due to Investigated Suspicions by Operation Lava Jato; New Investments Total Nearly R$ 19 Billion.

Abreu e Lima Refinery Will Have Doubled Refining Capacity

Boaventura Energy Complex Will Receive R$ 14 Billion

Investigated Companies Return to Compete for Public Contracts

Petrobras Strengthens Focus on Refining Projects

Want to Work at the REVAP Petrobras Refinery? Check Below

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After 16 years and almost 600 prototypes, a Chinese inventor unveils the world’s smallest and cheapest manned jet, at just 3.80 meters long and costing US$7.2 thousand in materials.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

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