In 2023, Petrobras achieved impressive production for three leading products, considering the refineries currently in its refining park. They produced 23.3 million m³ of gasoline—a record since 2014. The diesel production reached 41.4 million m³—a record since 2015. The LPG (cooking gas) reached 7.1 million m³—a record since 2007.

This result is the fruit of another historic result achieved last year: the refineries’ total utilization factor (TUF). The TUF, which considers the volume of processed oil load and the refinery reference load (operational capacity), reached 92%—a record since 2014. The processed oil from the pre-salt layer reached 65%, a historic record that surpassed last year’s record of 62%.

For the president of Petrobras, Jean-Paul Prates, the company has invested in the refineries’ operational capacity with obvious goals: “The development of technologies and the investments in the refining units’ reliability, safety, and profitability are strategic actions for Petrobras. We are upgrading our refining park and investing in this sector, vital to a fair energy transition.”

Efficiency and reliability at the refineries

Regarding equipment design limits, safety, environment, and health requirements, and maintaining the quality of the byproducts used, Petrobras broke byproduct production records despite the scheduled downtimes in 2023. Last January, the most considerable downtime in the history of Refap (RS) was put into effect; in March, another big one was performed at RPBC (SP); at Reduc (RJ), in the middle of the year, a unit was adjusted to produce diesel S10; and, in December, the downtime at Regap (MG) was successfully concluded.

According to Petrobras’s Industrial Process and Product Director, William França, “the company is focused on the assets’ efficiency, safety, and operational capacity. Upgrading our equipment is a condition to the refineries’ overall performance.”

Higher production of diesel and low-carbon products

Petrobras has included in its 2024-28 Strategic Plan a CAPEX for the Refining, Transportation, and Sale of USD 17 billion, leading to a higher processing capacity at the refineries of 225k barrels per day (bpd) and diesel S-10 production of over 290 thousand bpd until 2029.

USD 1.5 billion will be invested in the biorefining segment, supporting the capacity to produce Diesel R5 (5% of the renewable content). The Plan’s horizon also provides resources to set up dedicated plants for aviation biokerosene and 100% renewable diesel at RPBC and GASLUB, which will be finished after 2028.

About Petrobras

Petrobras has upwards of 100 production platforms, 16 refineries, 30,000 kilometers of pipelines and more than 6,000 service stations. Our proved reserves are around 14 billion barrels of oil, a figure expected to double in the next few years. With the discovery of oil and gas in the pre-salt region, Brazil may become the world's fourth biggest oil producer in 2030.

We have built a track record of overcoming challenges since 1953, when the company was created. The main one was developing technology to explore and produce oil in deep and ultra-deep waters, where upwards of 90% of our reserves are nestled. With innovation and daringness, we are now the Brazilian company that makes the applies for the most patents in Brazil and abroad.