Pre-salt oil processing will be increased at Petrobras refineries

Petrobras is sustainably increasing the share of pre-salt oil used in its refineries, in line with the demands and opportunities of the national and international market. Between January and April 2021, around 55% of refined oil originated in the Brazilian pre-salt. During this period, the company surpassed the mark of 1 million barrels of processed pre-salt oil per day. Five years ago, pre-salt oils represented only 27% of the volume of oil processed in refineries.

Pre-salt oils have a high yield of medium derivatives, that is, from the same volume of pre-salt oil, when compared to post-salt oil, it is possible to produce more QAv (Aviation Kerosene) and Diesel, derived from higher added value. Another positive aspect of oil from the pre-salt is the high paraffinity, a chemical characteristic that makes the diesel produced to have superior quality. In addition, pre-salt oils have a low sulfur content, contributing to a more sustainable refining activity and to the production of low sulfur content derivatives, such as Diesel S-10 and Bunker.

“The excellent characteristics of pre-salt oil allow us to generate value for the company not only through exports, but also through processing in our refineries, always ensuring that we are capturing the best opportunities in the market. The increase in the national processing of pre-salt oil also makes it possible to meet the demand for higher quality products”, explains the director of Refining and Natural Gas, Rodrigo Costa.

The increase in the proportion of pre-salt oil in Petrobras’ total production and the appreciation of the derivatives produced from it, lead to an increase in the share of this oil in Petrobras refineries. The decision between refining more oil or exporting, and which oil to use in the company’s units, takes into account several variables, such as availability of assets, the characteristics of each oil, its price and the price of derivatives in the national and international market. The choice is made seeking the best economic result for Petrobras.