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On one side, the promise of buying only half a cylinder and spending less, with more companies competing. On the other, the fear that cylinders without a fixed owner will become no man’s land, opening a breach for adulteration, accidents, and even organized crime. The decision to open the debate to society was scheduled for this Friday.
Selling cooking gas in smaller portions and allowing distributors to fill cylinders of any brand are proposals under analysis at the National Petroleum Agency, the ANP, which deeply divide the sector. On one side, retailers and part of the agency promise cheaper prices for consumers; on the other, the Ministry of Mines and Energy warns of risks of fraud and even infiltration of criminal factions in the market.
The clash gained momentum on May 29, 2026, when the ANP board met to decide whether to submit the new rules to consultations and public hearings. Days earlier, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the MME, had sent the agency a 14-page document questioning the review, arguing that the changes could compromise consumer safety and threaten the Gás do Povo social program, one of the main banners of the Lula government.
What is under discussion at the ANP
The reform of the LPG market, acronym for liquefied petroleum gas, our cooking gas, foresees a set of six measures, with two being the most controversial. The first is fractional filling, which would allow selling loads smaller than the full 13-kilogram cylinder; the second is the so-called open access, which would end brand exclusivity and allow any authorized distributor to fill any other cylinder.
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The exodus of Brazilian industries to Paraguay is already changing the logistics of the South, putting pressure on BR-277, shifting cargo between ports, and raising an alert about competitiveness in the country.
In addition to these, new guidelines are on the table for supplying deficit regions, the release of new uses for LPG, such as in boilers, saunas, pool heating, and engines that are not cars, and the end of mandatory linkage between distributors and retailers. The process is under the rapporteurship of director Daniel Maia and originates from a regulatory impact analysis report that has been discussed since 2024.
The argument of those who defend the change
For the proponents of the proposals, including part of the ANP itself and Abragás, an association that brings together smaller companies, the flexibility would bring more competition and lower prices. The central reasoning is logistical: allowing cylinders of any brand to be filled by local companies would reduce transportation costs, which are currently high because the containers need to return empty to the bases of their own brands.
Brazil has about 189 LPG distribution bases, according to the ANP, mostly concentrated in the South and Southeast, while in the North, Northeast, and Midwest they are practically restricted to the capitals. Proponents argue that, with open access, smaller companies could open bases in areas currently poorly served, shortening distances and lowering the final price of the cylinder for the consumer, especially in the interior of the country.
The warning from the government and distributors
On the opposite side, the MME, the large distributors, and Sindigás, the union that represents them, see serious risks. In the official letter sent to the ANP, signed by the national secretary of Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels, Renato Cabral Dias Dutra, the ministry states that the changes strain traceability, company accountability, and consumer safety, potentially opening up space for fraud, adulterations, and even organized crime.
The president of Sindigás, Sérgio Bandeira de Mello, argues that the brand stamped on the cylinder is the main instrument of traceability and accountability in case of an accident, as it is a pressurized and dangerous equipment. For him, without the link between brand and content, it would be difficult to know who is responsible for a defective cylinder. The large distributors, such as Copa Energia, Nacional Gás, Supergasbras, Ultragaz, and Consigaz, threaten to halt billion-dollar investments planned for new cylinders if the rules change.
The clash with the Gás do Povo program
One of the central points of the MME’s official letter is legal. The ministry maintains that the ANP’s proposals conflict with Law 15.348, of 2026, which created the Gás do Povo program, sanctioned by President Lula in February, and which requires that cylinders be sold sealed, full, and with a tamper-proof seal, to prevent fraud in the distribution of subsidized gas to low-income families.
The MME also cites Resolution No. 3 of the National Energy Policy Council, the CNPE, which reinforces the sale of the cylinder with a full load. In practice, according to industry sources heard by the press, the ministry uses these provisions to request that the ANP withdraw or suspend the most controversial topics from the regulatory debate, claiming that they would be incompatible with the legislation already in force. It is a rare public clash between the government and a regulatory agency that should have autonomy.
The specter of organized crime
The fear of faction infiltration is one of the strongest arguments of the critics and has gained academic support. A study from the University of São Paulo, USP, warns that the changes under consideration would open the door for criminal organizations to enter the LPG distribution, comparing the scenario to other countries in the region, such as Mexico, with more than 17,000 barrels of fuel stolen per day, and Paraguay, where more than 80% of the containers would be expired.
According to the USP study, the combination of an attractive market with the limited oversight capacity of the ANP would create an environment conducive to the expansion of organized crime. The study recommends that, before any changes, permanent cooperation mechanisms be structured between the Federal Police, Federal Revenue, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Coaf, citing recent operations against fraud in the fuel sector. It is worth remembering that this risk is presented as a warning and projection by critics, and not as a fact already consummated.
A giant and concentrated market
To understand the magnitude of what is at stake, just look at the numbers. The Brazilian cooking gas market is the sixth largest in the world, with about 400 million cylinders sold per year, moving billions of reais and present in practically every household in the country.
Since Petrobras left the distribution, with the sale of Liquigás, the sector has become quite concentrated: five companies hold almost 96% of the market, led by Copagaz, Ultragaz, Nacional Gás, Supergasbras, and Consigaz, according to Sindigás. Critics of the current rules argue that this concentration precisely sustains high prices, while distributors claim that the current structure is what ensures safety and traceability. The debate, therefore, mixes legitimate economic interests from all sides.
What changes for the consumer
At the center of the entire discussion is the Brazilian who needs to buy the cylinder every month. If the changes are approved, the promise is of lower prices and the possibility of buying only the amount of gas that fits the budget at that moment, instead of shelling out the full cylinder price all at once, which could ease the budget of low-income families.
On the other hand, if the critics’ fears are confirmed, the consumer could be exposed to adulterated, underfilled, or unsafe cylinders, with less clarity on who to hold accountable in case of an accident. It is this balance between economy and safety that the ANP, the government, and society will have to weigh in the next steps, which include consultations and public hearings, should the topic advance.
The dispute over fractional sales and the end of brands in cooking gas is one of those debates that seem technical but reach directly into the kitchens of millions of Brazilians. On one side, the promise of more competition and lower prices; on the other, the warning about safety, fraud, and organized crime. There are no obvious villains: there are economic interests, legitimate arguments, and real risks on both sides. The outcome will depend on how the ANP, the government, and regulatory bodies will balance the economy in the pocket with the safety of a product that, if mishandled, can be dangerous.
And you, what do you think about the idea of being able to buy fractional and cheaper cooking gas? Is it worth the risk of relaxing the rules, or should the safety of the sealed cylinder speak louder? Leave your comment, tell us how the price of gas affects your budget, and share the article with those who also feel the impact of the cylinder at the end of the month.
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