Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras has notched a new production milestone, with one of its oil fields surpassing 4 billion barrels of cumulative output as the pre-salt, now entering its third decade, cements its status as the company’s production powerhouse in Brazilian waters.
Petrobras has revealed that its Tupi field in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin reached a cumulative production of 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boed), becoming the first in the firm’s 73-year history to achieve this production volume. The Brazilian player emphasizes that this asset was the first to begin production in the pre-salt layer, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
When the field entered commercial production in 2010, it required the development of a new exploration model and technologies to operate in the pre-salt layer; thus, the operator had to overcome technological challenges in ultra-deep waters, which positioned it as a benchmark in global oil and gas production, including in terms of lower carbon intensity.
The resources obtained from pre-salt production are used to finance the company’s future and a just energy transition. The Tupi asset is operated by Petrobras, with its partners, Shell and Petrogal Brasil, and PPSA, the Union’s representative.
The field surpassed the average production of 1 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) this year, a mark first achieved in 2019. The pre-salt layer is currently Petrobras’ main source of production. Based on the company’s ‘Business Plan for 2026-30,’ this area could account for up to 82% of the firm’s total production during this period.
Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras’ Exploration and Production Director, commented: “Production in Tupi inaugurated a new era for the global oil industry. In these 20 years, the pre-salt layer, where we also have the super-giant fields of Búzios and Mero, has revealed itself to be a unique combination of large reserves, high productivity, oil with a smaller carbon footprint, and above-average efficiency.”
The total projected oil and gas production until 2030 is estimated between 3.1 and 3.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Petrobras highlights that out of its 57 operated production assets, 28 are exclusively in the pre-salt layer, which reached a cumulative production of 7 billion barrels of oil in January 2025.
The company is actively working on increasing its hydrocarbon resources not only in Brazil but also elsewhere, as illustrated by its recent gas discovery off the coast of Colombia.