Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras said it will more than double oil and gas production in Bahia to 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed/d), supported by new investments and projects expected to generate jobs, according to a statement released by the company on May 14.
The company made the announcement during a visit by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Bahia Nitrogen Fertilizer Factory (Fafen-BA) in Camaçari, where it marked the resumption of fertilizer production operations.
“Petrobras never left Bahia. Bahia is important to the company. Through our operations in the state, we are delivering more fertilizers and resuming more intensive exploration and production to deliver what we promised: more oil, more gas, more fertilizers, and more biofuels,” Petrobras President Magda Chambriard said.
Petrobras said its strategic plan includes US$3.5 billion (approx. R$18 billion) in exploration and production investments in Bahia, aimed at boosting output while expanding industrial activity in the region.
It said the investment program will support more than 6,500 direct jobs as production increases across onshore and related energy projects.
Petrobras also outlined an additional US$22.4 million (about R$115 million) investment plan for the Candeias Biodiesel Plant as part of its broader push into renewable fuels and energy transition projects.
“The initiative aligns with Petrobras investments in energy transition and renewable fuel production from plant- and animal-based feedstocks. Municipalities within the area covered by Petrobras Biocombustíveis’ Candeias Biodiesel Plant will benefit, with estimated investment of R$5 million (US$0.97 million) over three years,” the company said.
The announcement came two days after Petrobras reported multiple production and refining milestones for the first quarter of 2026, supported by output from its pre-salt fields and high refinery utilization rates.
The company reported total operated production of 4.65 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (b/d) and total equity production of 3.23 million b/d during the period.
