Portuguese 
Even with record production and millions of barrels exported, Brazil still imports derivatives, faces refinery limits, and adds taxes, biofuels, transport, distribution, and resale to the final fuel prices at Brazilian gas stations daily.
Brazil is producing more oil than ever, exporting large volumes, and reached 4.498 million barrels per day in July 2026. Nonetheless, consumers still encounter high prices for gasoline and diesel at the pump. The explanation lies less in the amount of oil extracted from beneath the seabed and more in the journey from crude oil to the fuel sold at the gas station.
According to data from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Brazilian oil production in July increased by 13.6% compared to the same month in 2025.
When combined with gas, the country reached 5.851 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
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This figure illustrates the scale of national production, but it doesn’t mean all that oil is refined in Brazil or converted into fuels that power cars, trucks, and machinery.
Brazil extracts millions of barrels but produces fewer derivatives
According to consolidated data from the ANP, Brazil produced an average of 3.8 million barrels of oil per day in 2025, a 12% increase over 2024. About 3 million barrels per day came from the pre-salt layer.
On the other hand, domestic production of petroleum derivatives was close to 2.2 million barrels per day during the same period, marking a 1.4% decline.
Brazilian refineries operated at an average utilization rate of 86.4% of their installed capacity.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s net crude oil exports reached 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025.
In practice, the country can place large quantities of crude oil in external markets, but that does not mean it produces all the necessary derivatives internally to meet Brazilian demand.
This discrepancy is particularly evident in diesel.
According to a study by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Energy Research Company (EPE), even with a projected 10% increase in national refining capacity between 2025 and 2035, Brazil will continue to be a net importer of derivatives, especially diesel and naphtha.
Data from the MME published in 2026 shows that more than 25% of all diesel consumed in Brazil needs to be imported, surpassing 1 million cubic meters per month.
Petrobras received R$ 2.08 of the R$ 6.54 charged for gasoline
Another point that helps explain why the increase in oil production does not translate directly into cheaper fuel for drivers is that the price paid at the gas station consists of various components.
According to data released by Petrobras for the week of September 6 to 12, 2026, the average price for gasoline in the country was R$ 6.54 per liter.
Of that total, R$ 2.08, equivalent to 31.8%, represented Petrobras’s share. State taxes accounted for R$ 1.57 per liter, while federal taxes added another R$ 0.24.
Together, state and federal taxes totaled R$ 2.24 per liter.
The calculation also included R$ 0.93 for anhydrous ethanol mixed with gasoline and R$ 1.72 associated with distribution and resale.
In other words, in that breakdown, the portion received by Petrobras represented just over a quarter of the final price considered for gasoline.
In diesel, importation, biodiesel, and distribution also add to the cost
The composition of diesel changes but continues to involve different costs.
According to Petrobras’s data for the week of September 13 to 19, 2026, the S-10 diesel had a national average price of R$ 7.13 per liter.
Petrobras’s share was R$ 2.83, or 39.7% of the value. Distribution and resale accounted for R$ 2.01, while biodiesel added R$ 0.80.
State taxes represented R$ 1.17 per liter and federal taxes added another R$ 0.32.
Record production does not mean fixed prices at gas stations
There is another factor: fuel prices are not determined solely by the volume produced in the country.
According to the ANP, the price liberalization regime has been in effect in Brazil since 2002.
This means there is no set national price or maximum or minimum values established by the government for producers, distributors, and stations.
The agency explains that the final price depends on various components, including the price charged at refineries, federal and state taxes, operational costs, biofuels added to products, transportation, and distribution and resale margins.
Thus, producing more oil doesn’t automatically eliminate these costs.
Brazil can extract millions of barrels from the subsurface, increase exports, and record production highs, but part of this oil goes to other markets while the country continues to rely on importing certain petroleum derivatives.
Between extraction and the vehicle tank, refining, taxes, biofuels, transportation, distribution, and resale are also involved.
Sources used: National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP); Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME); Energy Research Company (EPE); Petrobras.
