Dive
500m
You have reached the pre-salt layer!
It has been a long journey, hasn't it? We dive through our past, present and future to reach 7,000 meters deep, in the pre-salt extraction layer. Make the most of your time here and explore more about the future of our energy below.
Photograph of a submerged diver using professional equipment
40m
We've barely begun and already reached the
authorized depth limit for recreational diving.
Photograph of a submerged diver using professional equipment
40m
We've barely begun and already reached the
authorized depth limit for recreational diving.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.
Photograph of three filefishes swimming.
200m
At this depth, you can find peculiar fish,
like the filefish.

Explore ultra-deep waters
on a 7,000-meter dive and
discover all about the pre-salt

This story began over 100 million years ago, and now dictates the present and future of our energy

Did you know that the pre-salt formation process is much older than humans themselves? Yes! But the discovery of the pre-salt layer was only made in 2006, by us, and placed Petrobras in a strategic position in relation to the great global energy demand.

Did you know that the pre-salt formation process is much older than humans themselves? Yes! But the discovery of the pre-salt layer was only made in 2006, by us, and placed Petrobras in a strategic position in relation to the great global energy demand.

Today, ultra-deepwater production is an established reality and plays an important role in the global energy transition. After all, pre-salt wells are highly productive and their oil has the lowest pollutant gas emissions in the sector. In other words: we generate more energy and less environmental impact!

In 202292%

of our total production in Brazil occurred in deep and ultra-deep waters

For over 15 years, we have been overcoming challenges every day thanks to technology developed especially for pre-salt. Many of them were developed within our own research center, CENPES. An example is the processing technique that helped clearly show the position of the pre-salt rock.

Since then, we have formed partnerships with suppliers, with universities, hired drilling rigs, production platforms, ships, submarines, and we are moving the entire energy industry.

By 2027 78%

of our total production will come from pre-salt

Photograph of a sunfish swimming
800m
Around here lives the heaviest
bony fish in the world: the sunfish.
Photograph of a sunfish swimming
800m
Around here lives the heaviest
bony fish in the world: the sunfish.

Discover the place where
all the technology
happens

The exploration and production of oil and natural gas are our core activities. Within this context, the basins are our workplace. The pre-salt area covers a total of 150,000 km², and we hold exploration and production rights over 16% of this area, that is, 23,800 km². Discover the so-called Pre-salt Polygon.

Illustration of part of the map of the Brazilian states, showing only the region where the Pre-salt Polygon is located.

Within this area, we operate mainly in two different basins: the Santos Basin and the Campos Basin. Like most major oil and gas companies, we work through partnerships, using consortia for block exploration and oil field production in Brazil, especially in ultra-deep waters.

We lead and operate Exploration and Production consortia and are responsible for some of the main projects under development, such as Mero (Petrobras 40%, Shell 20%, TotalEnergies 20%, CNODC 10% and CNOOC 10%), Berbigão, Sururu and Oeste de Atapu (all with Petrobras 42.5%, Shell 25%, TotalEnergies 22.5% and Petrogal 10%).

These consortia also include some of the largest producing fields in Brazil, such as Tupi (Petrobras 65%, Shell 25%, Petrogal 10%), Sapinhoá (Petrobras 45%, Shell 30%, Repsol Sinopec 25%), Roncador (Petrobras 75%, Equinor 25%), Tartaruga Verde (Petrobras 50%, Petronas 50%) and Búzios (Petrobras 92.612%, CNOOC 3.694% and CNODC 3.694%).

Location pin icon.
Santos Basin
Location pin icon.
Campos Basin

We believe the Santos Basin is one of the most promising offshore exploration areas in the world, particularly in its southern portion, and the most prolific in the pre-salt region. Our pre-salt activities in the Santos Basin began with the acquisition of blocks in the early 2000s.

Three fields stand out from the others: Búzios, Mero and Tupi. Learn more below.

Búzios Field

 

It is the largest oil producing field in the country. A giant in quantity and also in size: its reservoir is up to 480 meters thick — almost 100 meters higher than the height of Sugarloaf Mountain! And its enormous extension, of 852 km², corresponds to 115 thousand soccer fields.

Brazil's largest oil platform is also located in Búzios: the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré. At 182 meters, it is the height of five Christ the Redeemer statues. In October 2025, Almirante Tamandaré reached 270 thousand barrels produced per day.

2018

Start of operations

2020

It was already responsible for more than 20% of Petrobras' total oil production

2024

Reached a total accumulated production of 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

2025

Reached the production record of 1 million barrels per day, and the expectation is to surpass the 2 million mark by 2030.

Tupi Field

  • This is where we extracted the first pre-salt oil in the Santos Basin.
  • It is the largest oil-producing field in deep waters in the world, with over 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent extracted.
  • Its production capacity exceeds 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Mero Field

  • This is where the first Subsea High Pressure Separation System (HISEP®) was implemented — an unprecedented technology patented by Petrobras that, after self-consumption on the FPSO, reinjects all gas production with 45% CO₂ content back into the reservoir.
  • It is located in the northwestern portion of the Libra block, where we operate in consortia with other companies in the sector.
  • In 2022, we installed the first permanent system in the field, the FPSO Guanabara, with the capacity to process 180 thousand barrels of oil per day.
  • The estimated recovery for the Mero Field exceeds 3 billion barrels of oil by 2048, with a peak annual production of 600 thousand barrels per day.

Campos Basin is one of the most important sedimentary basins in Brazil, located off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. Its oil and natural gas exploration began in the 1970s and, since then, it has played a crucial role in national production.

Currently, Campos Basin still holds significant reserves and continues to be a strategic area for Petrobras, especially with the application of new technologies for the revitalization of mature fields and the development of new discoveries.

Our operations in this basin are focused on optimizing production, increasing oil and gas recovery, and investing in decarbonization projects, seeking the efficiency and sustainability of our operations.

Learn about 5 innovations that allow us to explore the full potential of the largest pre-salt field in the world

We will maintain our leadership in oil and gas while innovating to lead the global pursuit of a safe and just energy transition. To achieve this, we are constantly engaged in research and development of new technologies to explore and produce with the lowest possible impact.

In 2021 and 2025, our innovations in the Búzios Field earned us two Distinguished Achievement Awards from OTC, considered one of the most important recognitions in the global energy sector. Discover some of the innovations used in our pre-salt fields.

01Systematic 4D seismic acquisition to incorporate the passage of time into the digital reservoir model

llustration of emission boat and receiver boat connected to receivers on the ocean floor, representing 4D seismic technology.

By emitting ultrasonic waves that reflect on the reservoir and return with data, we are able to define height, length and depth, building an image of the reservoir. The great novelty of the new technology, which has sensors positioned on the sea floor and is already being used in the Búzios field, is crucial for us to better understand how the fluids - oil, gas and water - behave inside the reservoir: the time factor.

Based on systematic seismic surveys and studies to scrutinize the configuration of the reservoir, we are able to decide the next steps, such as where to drill a certain type of well, leveraging production and reducing costs.

02Special data acquisition wells to better determine reservoir extent

3D modeling of a terrain full of elevations.

In addition to the 4D seismic acquisition, we are going to drill the so-called “data acquisition wells” to identify more precisely the limits of the reservoir and further expand our knowledge of the Búzios field, where five platforms are already in operation. We also seek to increase the field's production potential based on the data obtained with this technology.

03Wells with “smart completion” configuration to monitor real-time production

Photograph of the facilities of a Petrobras offshore platform.

We built in Búzios Field the first well with an unprecedented open-well “intelligent completion” methodology, which will be massively adopted to improve the development of the pre-salt fields. Widely used by Petrobras, the intelligent completion consists of preparing a well to produce remotely, by installing sensors.

What is new is that, this time, we were able to install part of the equipment directly in the open well — instead of placing a cemented coating over the reservoir — without giving up safety. This reduces the construction time by 15 days, leading to an average saving of US$ 14 million per well – the daily costs for drilling wells are one of the main costs of the projects.

Innovation brings another valuable advantage. From it, we can monitor, in real time, production data and well performance, in addition to remotely controlling the outflow, improving reservoir management and optimizing production.

04New models of subsea systems to boost production and increase the recovery factor

3D image of a Petrobras subsea system, composed of flexible lines.

We used all the knowledge we accumulated for over 16 years of experience in pre-salt to develop a new Wet Christmas Tree (WCT) model. Built on lessons learned throughout our journey through ultra-deep waters, WCT 2.0 enables intelligent completion and the gas lifting – a compressed gas injection method to artificially lift fluids – of even highly contaminant oils.

We operate with a smaller number of rigid pipes: eight inches in diameter, they allow for greater productivity in the producing wells and increase our injection capacity – here complemented by another innovation, a simultaneous injection system of water and gas (wag loop), which has shown excellent results in the reservoir recovery factor

A secondary recovery method, with injection of carbon dioxide (CO2), makes the displacement of water inside the reservoir even more efficient, boosting production. New supports for the interface of the risers with the platforms increase operational safety, by reducing the need of diving operations for inspection and maintenance purposes.

05Super FPSOs: high-capacity production units operating in our giant Búzios Field

3D image of a Petrobras FPSO platform in the ocean.

Almirante Tamandaré, the largest oil platform in Brazil, is part of a new generation of FPSO-type platforms (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading units). Developed based on the knowledge accumulated in the pre-salt, these Super FPSOs produce more oil and are more sustainable. Almirante Tamandaré is also the first platform in Brazil to receive the “Sustainability-1 Notation” Certification, which recognizes the reduction of environmental impact throughout the vessel’s entire life cycle.

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

Pre-salt oil wells are much more productive, but they also emit much less polluting gases. This means that we can generate more energy, but cause less damage to the environment.

3D image of a transparent barrel with a minimal amount of oil inside.

41 thousand barrels per day

Just two years after the start of our operation in ultra-deep waters in the pre-salt layer, we reached the mark of 41,000 barrels per day.

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

3D image of a transparent barrel with a few centimeters of oil inside.

500 thousand barrels per day

Rapid growth demonstrates the high productivity of the wells in operation and represents a significant milestone in the oil industry, especially because all of this takes place in deep and ultra-deep waters. Just 11 years later, our Almirante Tamandaré oil platform began producing on its own, in the Búzios Field, half of that amount: 250 thousand barrels of oil per day!

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

3D image of a transparent barrel filled with oil almost halfway down.

1 million barrels per day

It took our company 45 years to reach the milestone of producing one million barrels of oil per day, in 1998. In the pre-salt, we achieved this result in just eight years! Our operation has evolved so much since then that we now produce one million barrels of oil solely in the Búzios Field.

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

3D image of a transparent barrel filled with oil halfway down

1.4 million barrels per day

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

3D image of a transparent barrel almost full of oil inside.

2.06 million barrels per day

After over 16 years since the beginning of our operations in ultra-deep waters, the pre-salt layer now accounts for 80% of Petrobras production – and for more than 1/3 of Latin America's production.

With the pre-salt layer, we produce more oil and pollute much less

3D image of a transparent barrel almost full of oil inside.

Production Record

We broke production records in 3Q25, driven mainly by the Pre-salt, which accounted for the largest share. Pre-salt own production was 2.56 MMboed (out of a total of 3.14 MMboed), and operated production reached 3.88 MMboed (out of 4.54 MMboed).

The first place where pre-salt oil was discovered was in the minds of great professionals

Meet some professions that transformed the pre-salt into reality and how they worked through the process.

Photograph of a scientist in front of a projection on the wall of a 3D terrain model.

Geologists

One of the main missions of geologists at Petrobras is to discover new frontiers in exploration and production of oil. For this, professionals must carry out the geological mapping of exploratory projects, analyze data and potentials, quantify uncertainties and risks, and much more.

Photograph of a Chemical Engineer.

Chemical Engineers

These professionals need to have broad knowledge of mathematics, processes, unit operations, thermodynamics, kinetics... With this combination of expertise, our chemical engineers made it possible to produce oil in ultra-deep waters and also participate in the development of biofuels.

Photograph of a man wearing Virtual Reality glasses in front of a projection on the wall of a Petrobras operation.

Digital transformation specialists

To find oil more than seven thousand meters deep, a lot of technology is needed. Therefore, our professionals in the areas of digital transformation and IT are fundamental to identify technologies that improve our performance and help us to innovate even more.

Find out more about pre-salt formation and its characteristics

Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer..
Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.
Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.
Daytime aerial photograph of the Petrobras logistics terminal in Angra dos Reis.
Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer..

A question we hear a lot is: pre-salt, what is it?

The pre-salt consists of sedimentary rocks that were formed more than 100 million years ago with the separation of the current South American and African continents. With this separation, large depressions emerged that gave rise to several lakes, which were later connected to the oceans.

In deeper regions of these lakes, large amounts of organic matter from microscopic algae began to accumulate. This organic matter, mixed with sediments, formed the rocks that generate the oil and gas of the pre-salt.

Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.
Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer..Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.

Shells and limestone rocks and pre-salt reservoirs

In the shallowest parts of these lakes, on large lake islands, the so-called calcareous shells appeared, which increasingly accumulated over time. Later on, these shells 'gained the company' of stromatolite deposits, which are nothing more than types of algae that form limestone rocks. Both limestone shells and limestone rocks gave rise to the main reservoirs of the pre-salt layer.

Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.
Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer..Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.

The pre-salt layer

Due to the arid climate at that time, the intense evaporation of sea water caused the accumulation of salts, which created the pre-salt layer, a kind of protection that prevented the oil from 'escaping' and reaching the surface.

Daytime aerial photograph of the Petrobras logistics terminal in Angra dos Reis.
Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer.Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.Daytime aerial photograph of the Petrobras logistics terminal in Angra dos Reis.

Pre-salt depth

The total depth of the pre-salt layer exceeds 7,000 meters, which is equivalent to the height of the highest point in the Andes Mountains! The pre-salt oil quality is very high — as well as the water pressure in the place. What many called impossible, we used as fuel: we dived headlong into research and innovation to develop unique technologies that allowed us to go where no one else had gone.

Illustration of the terrestrial layers until reaching the pre-salt layer.

A question we hear a lot is: pre-salt, what is it?

The pre-salt consists of sedimentary rocks that were formed more than 100 million years ago with the separation of the current South American and African continents. With this separation, large depressions emerged that gave rise to several lakes, which were later connected to the oceans.

In deeper regions of these lakes, large amounts of organic matter from microscopic algae began to accumulate. This organic matter, mixed with sediments, formed the rocks that generate the oil and gas of the pre-salt.

Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.

Shells and limestone rocks and pre-salt reservoirs

In the shallowest parts of these lakes, on large lake islands, the so-called calcareous shells appeared, which increasingly accumulated over time. Later on, these shells 'gained the company' of stromatolite deposits, which are nothing more than types of algae that form limestone rocks. Both limestone shells and limestone rocks gave rise to the main reservoirs of the pre-salt layer.

Daytime aerial photograph of a Petrobras offshore rig.

The pre-salt layer

Due to the arid climate at that time, the intense evaporation of sea water caused the accumulation of salts, which created the pre-salt layer, a kind of protection that prevented the oil from 'escaping' and reaching the surface.

Daytime aerial photograph of the Petrobras logistics terminal in Angra dos Reis.

Pre-salt depth

The total depth of the pre-salt layer exceeds 7,000 meters, which is equivalent to the height of the highest point in the Andes Mountains! The pre-salt oil quality is very high — as well as the water pressure in the place. What many called impossible, we used as fuel: we dived headlong into research and innovation to develop unique technologies that allowed us to go where no one else had gone.

Touch a layer

Check out the best moments
in the history of pre-salt until now

2006

2006

First commercial discovery of pre-salt in Brazil.

2008

Start of production in Jubarte Field pre-salt layer, located in the Campos Basin.

2009

Start of pre-salt production in the Santos Basin.

2010

Entry of the first major pre-salt system into our operation. A platform ship in Angra dos Reis.

2013

Existence of the Production Sharing Agreement. This is one of the current regimes for oil exploration in Brazil.

2015

We received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), a sort of Oscar for our segment, for all the pre-salt technologies we developed.

2016

We reached record production of 1 million barrels per day.

2017

We started production in the Libra Block, in the Santos Basin. It is one of the most productive in the world.

2018

Entry into operation of the P-74 platform vessel, the first of the seven units that contributed to increasing our production.

2019

We received from OTC Brasil another Distinguished Achievement Award, this time due to the set of innovations implemented during the Long-Term Test (TLD) of Libra, in the Santos Basin pre-salt layer.

2021

Our total oil production in deep and ultra-deep waters represents 95% of the total.

2021

We accomplished a new Distinguished Achievement Award by OTC, for the set of innovations developed to enable the production of Búzios, the largest oil field in deep waters in the world.

2022

We surpassed, for the first time, the mark of 2 million pre-salt barrels produced per day. That year, the record was 2.2 million barrels per day.

2022

Our CO2 capture, use and storage (CCUS) program was recognized by the Global Status of CCUS 2021 as the largest in the world, in annual volume, and kept the title in the following years.

2023

We completed over 16 years of production in the pre-salt, which this year represented 78% of Petrobras' total production and more than ⅓ of Latin America's production.

2025

We achieved our highest oil production in history in 3Q25, thanks to the Pre-salt, which now accounts for 80% of our production. It contributed 2.56 MMboed (out of 3.14 MMboed of own production) and 3.88 MMboed (out of 4.54 MMboed of operated production).

2025

The FPSO Almirante Tamandaré platform becomes our highest daily production unit: on its own, it produces more than 250 thousand barrels per day! It is the platform of the Búzios 7 project, awarded at OTC Brasil 2025 for the pioneering technological innovations used in the Búzios Field.

2006
2008
2009
2010
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2021
2022
2023
2025

How is pre-salt oil helping to make the energy transition viable?

The world still needs oil to generate its energy, and the pre-salt layer is helping us to do this in a cleaner way. The reason is simple: its oil emits up to 70% less polluting gases equivalent per barrel than the world average.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts a demand of 20 million barrels of oil per day in 2050 — and note: this oil has not yet been discovered. The exploration and production of oil in the pre-salt layer allows us to produce affordable energy for society, with a safe, efficient, low-cost operation and with fewer emissions.

Another complementary initiative that we are implementing is the decarbonization of our operations, reducing carbon emissions in other activities, such as refining to transform oil into products for the daily lives of Brazilians.

Why are new pre-salt oil frontiers important?

To make a fair energy transition, in which everyone can have access, we are reconciling the search for new frontiers of oil exploration in the pre-salt layer with different renewable energy projects. Therefore, we guarantee that there will be no shortage of energy for anyone and that no Brazilian will be left behind.

In practice, the financial return on production in the pre-salt layer also helps to make investments in renewable energy sources viable, such as offshore wind energy projects , on the high seas.

By 2030, we plan to invest nearly US$ 7.1 billion in the exploration of new oil and gas frontiers — with the majority of the amount destined for the South and Southeast Margins and the Equatorial Margin.

Discover our new frontiers

Discover some technologies that make a difference in our daily lives

Knowledge and practical experience are decisive factors in all areas of life. It is no different with us! By researching and working on this we were able to improve and create new technologies and develop innovative solutions to operate in a sustainable way and reduce emissions in ultra-deep waters. All this evolution came with the premise of maximum security and the least possible impact. Check out some of them.

Photograph of Petrobras' Supercomputer Pegasus.

Supercomputers

We currently have the six most eco-efficient supercomputers in Latin America (Green500 – Jun/23). In 2022, we put into operation the Pegasus supercomputer, the 5th largest computer in the oil industry worldwide and, for the fifth consecutive year, we implemented large supercomputers designed with ecological concerns. We thus increased productivity and minimized energy consumption, which has made us five-time champions in Latin America in energy efficiency for high-performance computing (HPC).

Read more about supercomputers

Photograph of a woman wearing Virtual Reality glasses and with her index finger pointing upwards, as if clicking in the air.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence opens doors in different processes of our operation. With its help, we have the possibility to improve the resolution of seismic images, build geological solutions combined with data to have greater accuracy on the characteristics of a reservoir and on the movement of fluids. But more than that, we managed to anticipate scenarios, build digital replicas and optimize the design of future projects.

Learn more about Artificial Intelligence in the pre-salt

Photograph of a Petrobras employee wearing the Anjos da Guarda smart uniform

Smart Uniforms – Anjos da Guarda (Guardian Angels)

Anjos da Guarda takes advantage of the concept of the Internet of Things to work on safety in the workplace. The objective of the project is to transform uniforms into individual protection equipment. With the help of sensors, we can identify, for example, possible external risks to our employees, and have medical parameters that warn about the health condition of everyone using a smart uniform, and much more!

Read more about smart uniforms

Photograph of Petrobras offshore operations.

CCUS and HISEP®: technology to capture and re-inject CO2

The Subsea High Pressure Separation System (HISEP®) is a unique technology that allows us to separate and store CO2 of oil and natural gas right at the time of extraction, and to reinject it back in the reservatory. Our CO2 capture, use and storage (CCUS) program is the largest in the world, in annual volume — and the first in ultra-deep waters. With it, we increased the productivity of the wells and significantly reduced greenhouse gas and methane emissions.

Learn about our sustainable commitments

Panoramic aerial photograph of a Petrobras employee on an offshore rig.

Virtual laboratory

Virtual reality has many different applications within our company. One of them is to make field outputs virtual. Through photographs or even an initial field exit, we managed to create a three-dimensional model, full of data and 100% immersible. With this technology, our scientists can revisit the field as many times as they want from home or office with 3D glasses.

Read more about our Virtual Lab

Photograph of a woman sitting in front of several screens at the Geological Center for Operation and Automation

Remote drilling of wells

With the Geological Operation and Automation Center, the CGOR, we have access to data and are able to act remotely and as support in the drilling of wells. This work that already existed was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic and managed to reduce the number of people, as well as the number of trips. From 2020 to 2022 we serviced 115 wells, with 242,000 hours less human exposure to the offshore environment, saving BRL 93 million and avoiding the emission of around 4,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

Learn more about our Exploration and Production

3D image of a Petrobras FPSO platform in the ocean.

Energy efficiency on platforms

The name says it all: we develop fully electrified production storage and offloading floating platforms. All Electric platforms reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and other gases, such as nitrogen oxides, by up to 20%. In addition, they also bring a considerable increase in energy efficiency.

Discover more sustainable technologies of Petrobras

Photograph of the Anymal D robot in a Petrobras operation, with two other employees walking alongside.

Inspection with robots

The Anymal D Robot is a technology developed to help in inspecting industrial areas of refineries and offshore platforms. It has a dog-like design and has built-in technology that allows you to read information and generate reports. In addition, it is equipped with thermographic zoom camera, laser scan and sound recorder. It can act autonomously or carry out pre-programmed inspections.

Discover more Petrobras robots

3D image of Petrobras subsea system, composed of flexible lines.

Flexible Lines

Flexible Lines are ducts that collect and drain fluids to our production units. They are necessary to make connection between the units, injection or disposal of materials in reservoirs, and to transport to the mainland. The technology was developed for the Long-Term Test (TLD) in the Libra block, which received the Distinguished Achievement Award during the Brazilian edition of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in 2019.

Read more about Flexible Lines

What technologies are we investing in?

Every day, we are faced with new challenges that need to be overcome. Therefore, we join startups, universities and other institutions, through an open innovation program, to create projects and technologies that boost the value and competitiveness of our pre-salt business — with a focus on decarbonizing our operations. Meet some of them.

Subsea power generation

Challenge: reduce reliance on flaring gases with high CO2 content

Learn more

Subsea energy generation/capture system capable of feeding a CO2 separation system by high pressure (HISEP®). It can be integrated with other technologies, such as the H2 generation itself, power from shore, offshore wind, etc.

CO2 Capture and Storage

Challenge: improve natural gas dehydration in the pre-salt

Learn more

Method that allows measurements in currents containing CH4, CO2 (high concentrations) and H2O at high pressures. The objective is to infer the performance of dehydration processes and conditions that result in operation problems.

CO2 conversion technologies

Challenge: make the process technically and economically viable

Learn more

CO2 conversion technologies in value-added products via electro-reduction, with an impact on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory (IGEE) indicator.

Potential optimizations in All Electric plants

Challenge: predict relevant improvements in electrified plants

Learn more

Predictive system that contributes to the reduction of CAPEX, carbon footprint and Greenhouse Gas Inventory in All Electric plants designed by concepts of combined cycle, deep water capture, among others.

New inspection technologies

Challenge: reduce human hazards on FPSO tanks

Learn more

Crawler-type robot (or equivalent solution) capable of going through FPSO tank walls, overcoming interference and obstacles, to perform visual inspection and thickness measurement.

Do you have the solution we
need? Let's work together!

Petrobras is an open innovation company, and its doors are open to partnerships that help us build a more sustainable world, reconciling the focus on oil and gas with diversification in low-carbon businesses.

Discover the Connections for Innovation (Conexões para Inovação)
The pre-salt layer is a layer of oil reserves located below a thick layer of salt on the seabed, where the oil is located. This geological formation is considered one of the largest oil discoveries in recent decades and is located mainly in the Santos and Campos basins.
The pre-salt layer is a specific geological formation where there are oil reserves. In addition to the pre-salt layer, it is possible to extract oil from other reservoirs, including on dry land.
The pre-salt layer is essential to enable the energy transition because it has highly productive oil wells and the lowest emission of polluting gases in the global sector. In practice, the pre-salt layer is a strategic area for oil exploration and production in Brazil, and allows us to generate the energy the country needs and cause less impact on the environment!
The pre-salt discovery was made by Petrobras in 2006, off the Brazilian coast.
The pre-salt layer is important to guarantee Brazil’s energy security — that is, to generate energy for everyone and meet the still existing demand for oil.

Furthermore, production in the pre-salt layer also helps in the social and economic development of the country, with new jobs and income.
Oil exploration in the pre-salt layer is carried out by FPSO platforms at depths of up to 7,000 meters. These platforms extract oil and natural gas from the pre-salt layer and store it.

The oil is then transferred to a relief vessel, which transports the oil to an onshore terminal. Natural gas is sent to the ground through pipelines and/or is reinjected into the reservoir.

You may also be interested in:

link

Energy in Transformation

link

Innovation and Technology

link
Campo de cana-de-açúcar ao entardecer com uma refinaria ao fundo, representando a transição energética e a produção de biocombustíveis.

Energy Transition

link

The Journey of Energy