Petrobras and its logistics arm Transpetro signed contracts on January 20 for five new gas carriers, 18 barges and 18 pushers, totaling 2.8 billion reais (about $520 million). The deal expands the company’s ability to move liquefied natural gas and associated products along Brazil’s coast.
The gas carriers will be built at the Rio Grande Shipyard in Rio Grande do Sul, while the barges and pushers will be constructed at shipyards in Amazonas and Santa Catarina. Construction of the first carrier is slated for delivery 33 months after the start of work, with subsequent vessels arriving every six months.
The expansion will triple Transpetro’s LPG and derivatives transport capacity, raising the fleet from six to 14 vessels. This increase is designed to support Petrobras’s upstream production growth and meet rising domestic and export demand for gas products.
The contracts are part of Petrobras’s Mar Aberto program, a $6 billion investment plan through 2030 aimed at fleet renewal. The new vessels are engineered to be 20 % more energy‑efficient and cut greenhouse‑gas emissions by roughly 30 %, aligning with the company’s “Just Energy Transition” strategy.
The project is expected to generate more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs, revitalizing Brazil’s shipbuilding industry and supporting national industrial policy objectives.
Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard said the contracts prepare the company for future production growth and strengthen the recovery of Brazil’s shipbuilding sector. Transpetro president Sérgio Bacci highlighted that the renewal program will improve operational efficiency and lower logistics costs, marking a strategic milestone for the Petrobras system and the country.
Strategically, the fleet expansion reduces reliance on chartered vessels, improves margins on gas transport, and enhances resilience to oil‑price volatility. It also supports Petrobras’s broader diversification into lower‑carbon businesses and reinforces its logistics network across the energy chain.
While no immediate market‑reaction data were found, the contract signals Petrobras’s commitment to the Mar Aberto program and its long‑term growth strategy.
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