Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Petrobras refinery sales stutter
Pledge to divest half of the company’s refining capacity by year-end is starting to look doubtful
Brazilian state oil company Petrobras has terminated the sale of its Alberto Pasqualini (Refap) refinery, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, after negotiations with fuel distribution conglomerate Ultrapar broke down. The refinery sale is the third downstream deal to fall through since the NOC pledged to offload half of its refinery capacity in 2019. The divestment process for the 208,000bl/d Presidente Getulio Vargas (Repar) refinery fell apart after bidding fell short of the asking price. In Amazonas state, the smaller Abreu e Lima (RNEST) refinery failed to attract significant bidders, forcing Petrobras to restart the sales process on both facilities. Collapsed talks leave Petrobras having
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
