Registrations for the first public competitive examination of PPSA (Pré-sal Petróleo/SA) begin on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, and will continue until March 17, 2025. There are 100 positions available for professionals with higher education, in addition to the creation of a reserve list.

Candidates must register exclusively through the website of the Institute of Development and Training (IDCAP) (https://www.idcap.org.br). The registration fee is BRL 100 for analyst positions and BRL 150 for lawyers and specialists. The payment will be made via a bank slip issued at the time of registration.

The competition offers 52 positions for Oil and Gas Specialists, 36 for Corporate Management Analysts, eight for Information Technology Analysts, and four positions for Lawyers. Of the available positions, 5% will be offered to individuals with disabilities (PCDs), and 20% to black and brown candidates. All positions are for work at PPSA's Central Office, located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Exams and compensation

The exams will be held on April 27, 2025, in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador. There will be a multiple-choice exam for all positions. Candidates for the positions of lawyer and oil and gas specialist will also take written exams in Portuguese and English.

Admitted candidates will be entitled to the salary, benefits, and advantages in effect at the time of their admission. The starting salaries are BRL 8,240.00 for a Corporate Management Analyst, BRL 9,350.00 for an Information Technology Analyst, BRL 15,942.00 for a Lawyer, and BRL 19,610.00 for an Oil and Gas Specialist.

About PPSA

PPSA is a public company linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and has been operating for 11 years in three areas: managing production-sharing agreements, representing the Government in production unitization agreements, and managing the commercialization of the Government's oil and natural gas. The company’s mission is to maximize the economic results of the Government in all its activities. All funds raised by the company are directed to the National Treasury.

Visit the website to learn more about the company: www.ppsa.gov.br

Service

Registration period: From February 5 to March 17, 2025.
Public Notice: Available on the PPSA website and the IDCAP
website. Registration: Exclusively on the IDCAP website: www.idcap.org.br/informacoes/175
For more information about positions, schedule, and FAQs: https://www.presalpetroleo.gov.br/concurso-publico-ppsa/ or by email at atendimento@idcap.org.br.
Exam locations: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador
Exam date: 4/27/2025

Cumulative production under the sharing regime since 2017, the beginning of the historical series, surpassed the mark of 1 billion barrels of oil in November. The Búzios field is responsible for more than half of production in the period, accumulating 529 million barrels. The Mero and Sepia fields are in second and third place. Since 2017, the Government has been entitled to an accumulated 59.8 million barrels. The data is part of the Monthly Production Bulletin released by PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo) on Thursday (16).

Daily production in November

In November, total production under the sharing agreements reached 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd), 6% more than in the previous period, due to improved operational efficiency at Libra.
The Búzios, Mero, and Sépia fields remained the largest producers under the sharing regime, accounting for 86% of the total.

The Government's share of oil in the sharing agreements alone was 96.41 thousand bpd. The result for the month was 4% lower than in the previous period, due to costs recovered from the construction of P-85, the Sépia 2 Project, and the stoppage of FPSO Ilhabela, in Sapinhoá.The largest share of the Government came from Mero, which accounted for more than 87% of production, with 84.23 thousand bpd.

Total natural gas exports under the sharing regime in November amounted to 3.77 million m³/day. The result comes from five fields and was 6% lower compared to the previous month due to the shutdown of the FPSO Ilhabela in Sapinhoá and the reduction in exports from the FPSO Almirante Barroso in Búzios. The share of natural gas available for export by the Government was 90 thousand m³/day under the sharing regime.

Total Government production

When adding the daily oil production of the Government under the sharing regime and the Production Unitization Agreements (AIPs) of the uncontracted areas of Tupi and Atapu, the daily oil production was 100.53 thousand barrels per day in November, a result practically stable compared to October (minus 3%). Regarding gas volumes and considering all participations, the Government was also entitled to a total production of 158,000 m³ per day for the month. The volume is 38% below that of October, due to the reduction in exports from the FPSO Almirante Barroso and the cost recovery of the FPSO P-85 in Sépia.

PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo), a company linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, raised BRL 10.32 billion in 2024 with the sale of the Government's oil and natural gas shares in five production-sharing agreements and the production unitization agreement for Tupi. The amount is approximately 71% higher than the revenue collected in 2023 (BRL 6.02 billion) and reflects the increase in production under the agreements, as well as the success achieved in the competitive bidding processes for the commercialization of the Government's oil and gas shares conducted by PPSA since 2021. All funds raised are directed to the National Treasury.

In 2024, 56 shipments of the Government's oil were made, totaling 27.39 million barrels, including 43 shipments from the Mero field, six from Búzios, three from Sépia, two from the Sapinhoá Surrounding area, one from Tupi, and one from Atapu. Except for the shipments from Sépia and Atapu, which were sold through direct sale processes, the others are related to long-term agreements resulting from an auction held by PPSA on B3 in 2021, with Petrobras being the winning bidder. In 2024, a total volume of 53.8 million cubic meters of natural gas was also sold to Petrobras.

In December 2024, the company also set a new record, raising BRL 2 billion for the Government through commercialization. Until then, the record was the result achieved in August 2024, with BRL 1.4 billion.

According to PPSA's Director of Administration, Finance, and Commercialization, Samir Awad, this result represents the beginning of a new performance curve for the company, which will see increasing revenues in the coming years. “In 2030, when the nine commercial production sharing agreements we have today reach their peak production, the Government's share will be 543 thousand barrels per day, with an estimated revenue of BRL 69 billion. “By 2034, projections indicate a cumulative revenue of BRL 506 billion for the Government,” he said.

PPSA (Pré-sal Petróleo S/A) will hold, in the coming months, its first public competition with the aim of hiring 100 employees with higher education starting in 2025, in addition to creating a reserve list. The Institute of Development and Training (IDCAP) will plan, organize, and conduct the competition.

The vacancies are distributed among the positions of lawyer, corporate management analyst, information technology analyst, and oil and gas specialist, with duties in different areas of the company. The vacancies are for positions in Rio de Janeiro. The exams will take place on April 27, 2025, and will be held in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, or Salvador. There will be a multiple-choice exam for all positions. Candidates for the positions of lawyer and oil specialist will also take an essay exam.

Of the available positions, 5% will be offered to individuals with disabilities (PCDs), and 20% for self-declared black candidates.

The National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) approved, on Tuesday (12/10), the inclusion of the Cerussita, Aragonita, Rhodochrosite, Malachite, Opal, Quartz, and Chalcedony blocks for bidding under the production sharing regime in the Permanent Offer system of the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP). For these blocks, government revenue is expected to exceed BRL 220 billion over the projects’ lifespan, with an estimated BRL 214 billion in investments during the period.

The minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, highlighted the impact of the decision on ensuring the country's energy self-sufficiency. “This measure is fundamentally important for the economy, attracting significant investments to the country and generating jobs and income for the population. For these specific blocks, signature bonus revenues alone will generate BRL 874 million for the Government, reaffirming the importance of this decision for Brazil’s economic development,” he emphasized.

The seven blocks are located within the pre-salt polygon, specifically in the Santos Basin, situated in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. They join the other seventeen blocks previously authorized by CNPE. As a result, the next auction, scheduled for June, is expected to be the largest production-sharing auction in terms of the number of blocks. This is another achievement of the Potencializa E&P program, an initiative of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) aimed at promoting the sustainable development of oil and natural gas exploration and production in Brazil.

The Technical Forum promoted by PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A) brought together authorities, executives from leading oil companies, and industry experts to discuss the future of the pre-salt, the technological innovations needed to reduce emissions, and the legal and operational challenges impacting the sector. The event, held in Rio de Janeiro, covered topics such as the next steps for the pre-salt, the challenges in ramping up the platforms, and the investments required to ensure the continuity of production. The opening of the Forum was conducted by Pietro Mendes, Secretary of Oil and Natural Gas at the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), who emphasized the importance of the oil sector for the national economy and the changes being studied by the government to improve the production sharing regime. Mendes also discussed other actions by the MME to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of the industry.

Mendes reminded us that the government is analyzing changes to the production-sharing agreements in order to adapt the business model to the economic and operational needs of the sector.

“One of the changes we are studying is allowing the extension of production-sharing agreements in cases where economic advantage for the Government can be demonstrated. Therefore, we will need to analyze whether this agreement extension is advantageous for the Government, but the goal is to create this possibility, obviously, after consulting with PPSA and ANP, which could implement the extension,” said Mendes.

Currently, production-sharing agreements do not foresee the possibility of renewal, and any change in this regard will require legislative amendments. The current model establishes that, after the agreement ends, the fields must be returned to the Government, which, in some cases, may not be advantageous for the country. The

extension proposal aims to ensure the continuity of production and investments in fields that still have significant potential.

Tabita Loureiro, Acting President of PPSA, presented the “Estimates of Results in Production Sharing Agreements,” with a focus on the coming years. The company’s assessment indicates that production-sharing agreements will require investments of BRL 53 billion in the next five years. In addition, she emphasized that all these commercial projects will require the drilling of 145 wells between exploration and production during this same period. The forecast is for the installation of 11 new FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading unit) by the end of the decade.

“And by delivering increasingly decarbonized oil, in the range of 10 to 11 kilograms of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, we are competitive in the energy transition scenario,” said Tabita Loureiro.

The Future of Pre-Salt: Challenges and Opportunities

In the panel “The Future of the Pre-Salt: Adapting to a New Scenario, moderated by Tabita Loureiro, the participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of the pre-salt in the coming years. The conversation involved major industry figures, such as Paula Pereira da Silva, Country Manager of Galp Brasil; Huang Yehua, President of CNOOC Brasil; Alberto Ferrin, President of ExxonMobil Brasil; Heloísa Borges, Director of Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Studies at EPE; and Pietro Mendes.

Industry executives highlighted that, despite the challenges of the regulatory environment and rising costs, Brazil remains an attractive region for investments in the oil and gas sector. The need for public policies to ensure the continuity of these investments was a central point of the discussion.

Challenges in Platform Ramp-up

The afternoon panel addressed the challenges, lessons learned, and success stories in the process of installing FPSOs in the pre-salt. Moderated by Samir Awad, Commercialization Director at PPSA, the debate brought together experts such as Vinícius Carvalho, Operations Manager at Equinor; João Carlos de Araujo, General Manager of Project Implementation at Petrobras; Alan Buchi, Commercial Director at FMC Technip; Pedro Rabello, Operations Manager at Subsea 7; and Luiz Bispo, Operational Safety Superintendent at ANP.

Among the key points discussed were the logistical and operational challenges faced by companies during the first oil and ramp-up, such as coordination between suppliers, the orchestrated installation of infrastructure, commissioning, and issues related to environmental licensing and compliance with ANP’s operational safety requirements.

New Auctions and Market Outlook

Finally, Guilherme França, Commercialization Superintendent at PPSA, presented the “Volume Estimates for the 5th Oil Auction of the Government” and the next steps for the Natural Gas Auction.

PPSA estimates the sale of 78 million barrels of oil from the Government on June 25 of next year at B3 in São Paulo. The 5th Oil Auction of the Government will sell the production of the Government from the Mero, Búzios, Sépia, Itapu, and Norte de Carcará fields.

França also announced that the 1st Natural Gas Auction of the Government is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. “We are currently analyzing the hiring of the Integrated Offloading System (SIE) and the Integrated Processing System (SIP), which are necessary for the execution of the bidding process.”, he explained.

The final panel, titled “Remaining Potential of the Pre-Salt Polygon,” was moderated by Rudy Ferreira, Exploration Superintendent at PPSA, and featured contributions from Jair Rodrigues Soares, Exploration Geosciences Coordinator at PPSA; Bruna Lyra and Eduardo Leaubon, from Viridien; Juliana Santos, from TGS; and Ildeson Prates Bastos, Superintendent of Geological and Economic Evaluation at ANP.

The experts detailed the remaining exploration opportunities in the pre-salt polygon and presented seismic data and analyses on prospects identified in the polygon, which, according to studies, continue to demonstrate a geological potential for oil and gas. Check the detailed schedule: https://www.presalpetroleo.gov.br/forum-tecnico/

PPSA could raise over BRL 500 billion with the commercialization of the Government's oil and gas shares in 19 production sharing agreements and in the production unitization agreements for Mero, Atapu, and Tupi over the next decade. The estimate is part of the study “Production estimate of production-sharing agreements and revenue for public coffers for the 2025-2034 Period,” prepared by PPSA and presented this Thursday at the company's annual Technical Forum by Acting President, Tabita Loureiro. According to Tabita, considering the values to be paid with royalties and taxes, the total revenue for public coffers from these agreements could exceed BRL 1 trillion.

The study prepared by PPSA presents three scenarios for the Government's results over the next ten years: Pessimistic, Most Likely, and Optimistic, with variations in oil and gas prices, exchange rates, and the entry of platforms into production, among other variables. The estimate of BRL 500 billion is based on the Most Likely scenario, with a price of USD 70 per barrel and an exchange rate of BRL 5.43, considered a conservative scenario. According to Tabita, regardless of the chosen scenario, all point to an increase in production.

“The Government's oil production has just reached the mark of one hundred thousand barrels per day (bpd) in October, which places us, for the first time, as the fifth-largest national producer. In this study, if we consider the Most Likely scenario, the Government's production reaches its peak in 2030, with 543 thousand bpd. In the Optimistic scenario, it reaches 583 thousand bpd. This will completely change the volumes of oil commercialization for the Government,” he explained.

Tabita emphasized, however, that although the projections are promising, the numbers presented last year for the 2024-2033 period estimated an even greater increase. “In the previous study, the Government's production peak would be reached one year earlier, in 2029, with 564 thousand barrels per day.The delay and the smaller volume are explained by the postponement of platform production start-ups in some fields, the deferral of scheduled well drilling, and the increase in costs for some projects, which impact the cost recovery in oil. The market has been struggling with contractual adjustments in the construction and assembly of FPSOs, higher daily rates for drilling rigs, and a general increase in investment costs in subsea agreements,” she said.

Considering the Most Likely scenario, it is estimated that from 2025 to 2034, the production-sharing agreements will have a cumulative production of 6.6 billion barrels of oil. Of this total, the Government's accumulated share will be 1.4 billion barrels.

Natural Gas

As with oil, three scenarios were outlined for the Government's natural gas production available for export in the production-sharing agreements and in the unitization agreements. Even considering the estimates of the Pessimistic scenario, production is expected to increase from the current 255 thousand m³/day to 3.3 million m³/day in 2031. In the Optimistic scenario, it reaches 3.5 million m³/day in 2031, remaining above the three million range for five consecutive years. It is worth mentioning that these estimates do not take into account the yield factor of the UPGNs (Natural Gas Processing Unit), meaning that a portion of this gas will be converted into LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and liquids.

Considering the Most Likely scenario, it is estimated that from 2025 to 2034, the agreements will have a cumulative production of 48.5 billion m³ of natural gas. Of this total, the Government's accumulated share will be 7.7 billion m³.

Investments

In addition to the amounts raised for the Government, the investments are also significant: USD 53 billion between 2025 and 2029, allocated to the commercial production sharing agreements.

Environment

The study also presents, for the first time, a framework with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the production sharing agreements and the AIP of Tupi, projects with the Government's participation. According to Tabita, the average carbon intensity of these agreements was 10.85 kgCO2e/boe, while the OGCI (Oil and Gas Climate Initiative) reference, the global average, is around 18 kgCO2e/boe.

Access here the full presentation.

Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/@agenciaeixos
Access the schedule: https://www.presalpetroleo.gov.br/forum-2024/

The company also plans to hold its 1st gas auction next year

PPSA estimates the sale of 78 million barrels of oil from the Government on June 25 of next year at B3 in São Paulo. The announcement was made this Thursday (5) by the company's Commercialization Superintendent, Guilherme França, during the PPSA Technical Forum, held at Prodigy Santos Dumont. According to França, the 5th Oil Auction of the Government will sell the production of the Government from the Mero, Búzios, Sépia, Itapu, and Norte de Carcará fields.

França also announced that the 1st Natural Gas Auction of the Government is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. “We are currently analyzing the hiring of the Integrated Offloading System (SIE) and the Integrated Processing System (SIP), which are necessary for the execution of the bidding process. These are complex agreements, and we are even evaluating the possibility of signing the agreement and making an assignment of rights in the processing. Whatever is more attractive for the Government,” he explained.

According to him, the estimate is that the Government will have up to 1.3 million cubic meters of natural gas available to offer to the market by 2027. These estimates do not take into account the yield factor of the UPGNs (Natural Gas Processing Unit), meaning that a portion of this gas will be converted into LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and liquids. The production is related to the sharing agreements for Búzios, Sapinhoá, Sépia, and Atapu, in addition to the Government's participation with non-contracted areas in the production unitization agreements for Tupi and Atapu.

Regarding the public notice for the 5th Oil Auction, França stated that the publication is expected to occur in March 2025. The largest volume of shipments will come from the Mero Field: 51.5 million barrels to be marketed over 12 months. The second-largest lot is from the Norte de Carcará field. The field is scheduled to start production in 2025, and the auction will commercialize 12 million barrels of the Government's production over 18 months. The Itapu (6.5 million) and Sépia (4.5 million) lots will also be for 18 months, while the Búzios (3.5 million) lots will be for 12 months.

The volumes are current estimates of the Government's share of oil in 2025 and 2026 in these fields and may be revised until the publication of the public notice for a more refined projection. When winning a lot, the buyer will have all the named cargoes available starting from July 2025 or January 2026, according to the agreement, even if the total amount is greater or less than the volume specified in the public notice. The cargoes marketed in the 4th Government Oil Auction for the year 2025 are not part of these volumes.

Access here the full presentation.

Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/@agenciaeixos
Access the schedule: https://www.presalpetroleo.gov.br/forum-2024/

Petrobras and PetroChina were the winners of the spot sale process promoted by PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A.) on Wednesday, 10/30, to commercialize five oil cargoes from the Government of the Sépia field, with an estimated volume of 2.5 million barrels. Six companies have registered for the competitive bidding process.

The sale was divided into two lots: the first with a load of 500 thousand barrels and an estimated loading date in December 2024, which was won by PetroChina; and the second, with an estimated 2 million barrels and an expected loading between January and April of the following year, won by Petrobras. Since 2022, four other Sépia cargoes have already been sold to Galp, CNOOC, and Petrobras.

The price offers were opened in real-time during a meeting attended by representatives of the companies that submitted written proposals. PPSA will publish the sale price of the cargo on its website 15 days after loading.

The Marechal Duque de Caxias FPSO began producing oil and gas on Wednesday, 10/30, in the Mero field, Libra block, in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin. The platform has a production capacity of up to 180 thousand barrels of oil per day and a processing capacity of 12 million m3 of gas. PPSA (Pré-sal Petróleo S.A.) is the representative of the Government in the non-contracted area and the manager of the production sharing agreement for Mero, a field that will produce 590 thousand barrels of oil per day when the Marechal Duque de Caxias reaches its full capacity.

“The start of production at Marechal Duque de Caxias represents an important step for the growth of production in the Mero field, which is already the main oil producer for the Government. This FPSO also comes with decarbonization technologies and will use, for the first time, HISEP, bringing yet another innovation to pre-salt production,” said Evamar José dos Santos, Director of Agreement Management at PPSA.

The HISEP technology separates oil and gas at the bottom of the ocean, from where it will reinject the CO2-rich gas into the reservoir. Thus, in addition to enabling increased oil recovery, it is expected to also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions intensity into the atmosphere.

In total, the FPSO will have 15 wells, 8 oil producers, and 7 water and gas injectors, interconnected to the platform via subsea infrastructure.

Mero unitized field operations are conducted by the consortium operated by Petrobras (38.6%), in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNODC (9.65%), CNPC (9.65%) and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A (PPSA) (3.5%), as representative of the Government in the non-contracted area.